Vocabulary
abstract
ˈæbstrækt
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
abstract art does not try to
represent real people or things but
uses shapes and colours in order to
create particular feelings or
effects
Adjective
- an exhibition of abstract paintings
- he started doing abstract compositions while he was still at art school
- his work was purely abstract, but full of life and colour
- the drawing was simple, almost abstract
- Noun: abstract
- he submitted two abstracts for the exhibition
abuse
əˈbjuːs
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
abuse is a bad or wrong use of
something, especially when this can
cause harm to someone
Noun
- drug/alcohol/substance abuse
- racial abuse
- the problem of drug and alcohol abuse
- the abuse of power
- a horrific case of child abuse
- he suffered racial abuse (cruel treatment because of his race)
- the report documented widespread human rights abuses
- domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence
- Verb: abuse
- Noun: abuser
- Adjective: abusive
- Adverb: abusively
- she began to abuse alcohol as a teenager
- a small minority of parents beat and abuse their children
- most child abusers are people the child knows
- suicide is very common in young alcohol abusers
- any abusive behaviour in the school is unacceptable
- she told me she'd left her abusive boyfriend
- he married her, but treated her abusively
acceptance
əkˈseptəns
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
acceptance is agreement that
something is true or useful or
necessary
Noun uncount
- gain acceptance
- widespread acceptance
- there is greater acceptance that technology can play an important role
- new crops were introduced and gained widespread acceptance
- no single alternative solution has achieved acceptance
- Verb: accept
- Adjective: acceptable
- his theory has never been widely accepted
- we simply accept that behaviour as normal
- it took hours of negotiating to reach an acceptable solution
account for
əˈkaʊnt ˌfɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to account for something means to be
the reason for it happening
Phrasal verb
- the large number of Russian billionaires accounts for the rise in luxury car sales
- what might account for his aggressive behaviour?
- a wet August accounted for the bad harvest
- heart disease accounted for millions of deaths last year
accusation
ˌækjʊˈzeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you make an accusation, you say
that something bad has happened or
that someone has done something
wrong
Noun
- make an accusation
- level an accusation against someone
- deny an accusation
- a serious accusation
- a wild accusation
- accusations of poor food hygiene
- she made a serious accusation against her boss
- both groups levelled accusations against each other
- officials denied all accusations that they were responsible
- I want to address the serious accusations that were made against me
- do you have any evidence to support these wild accusations?
- Verb: accuse
- Noun: accuser
- accuse someone of (doing) something
- several clubs were accused of using unregistered players
- the two men were accused of murder
- opposition leaders regularly accuse the government of mismanagement
- he plans to pursue legal action against his accusers
- you need to face your accusers
acknowledge
əkˈnɒlɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
to acknowledge something means to
accept that it is true
Verb
- acknowledge that
- our cultural differences were acknowledged and accepted
- she acknowledges that there are some dishonest bankers
- I do acknowledge the need for some changes
- she refused to acknowledge her guilt
- I fully acknowledge that I made mistakes
- we were forced to acknowledge the truth
- Noun: acknowledgement
- I want an acknowledgement that mistakes were made
acknowledge
əkˈnɒlɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
to acknowledge something means to
accept that it is true
Verb
- acknowledge that
- she acknowledges that there are some dishonest bankers
- I do acknowledge the need for some changes
- she refused to acknowledge her guilt
- I fully acknowledge that I made mistakes
- we were forced to acknowledge the truth
- Noun: acknowledgement
- I want an acknowledgement that mistakes were made
acquire
əˈkwaɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
to acquire something means to get it,
for example by buying it
Verb
- he acquired a number of valuable paintings
- I recently acquired a copy of the report
- he had acquired a reputation as a troublemaker
- the cost to acquire the property was $5 million
- the way in which children acquire language
- to acquire knowledge
- Noun: acquisition
- the acquisition of language
- let me show you my recent acquisition (something I got recently)
action
ˈækʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if you take legal action against
someone, you start a case in a court
of law because you want to prove that
they have done something wrong
Noun
- bring a legal action (against someone)
- take legal action
- face legal action
- the surgeon is facing legal action for using the wrong procedure on a patient
- if I don’t pay by the end of the month, they’ll take legal action
- any member state can bring an action before the European Court of Justice
- an action against the company seeking to enforce the contract
- Adjective: actionable
- breach of contract is actionable (it can justify someone taking legal action)
add up
æd ˈʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if amounts add up, they make one
large amount when they are all put
together
Phrasal verb
- they’re not a lot individually, but they all add up
- with drinks and service the meal added up to over £100
- all these bills add up to more than we can afford
addiction
əˈdɪkʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
addiction is the state of being
dependent on something such as drink
or drugs or gambling and being unable
to do without it
Noun
- drug/alcohol/gambling addiction
- he needed money to feed his addiction
- Natalie had bad experiences with gambling addiction
- treatment for alcohol addiction
- committing crimes to support their drug addiction
- he was struggling to overcome his addiction
- Adjective: addicted
- Noun: addict
- Adjective: addictive
- be addicted to something
- a drug addict
- highly addictive
- he eventually became addicted to alcohol and cocaine
- nine out of ten smokers became addicted before the age of 19
- they are both recovering addicts (recently stopped being addicted)
- a drug addict
- tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive
- people with addictive personalities (who become addicted very easily)
admission
ədˈmɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you make an admission, you say
that you have done something wrong or
something that people will not approve
of
Noun
- an admission of something
- an admission that
- Henry's letter contained a clear admission of early mistakes
- what he said was not an admission of guilt
- I hope your admission will help others with the same problems
- there was no admission that any change had taken place
- by his own admission, his data was unreliable
- Verb: admit
- Adverb: admittedly
- admit doing something
- admit to (doing) something
- admit that
- they'll never openly admit being wrong
- he admitted to being a liar
- the farmers finally admitted that they had acted wrongly
- admittedly, the problems this creates are enormous
- admittedly, not every detail is authentic
advisor
ədˈvaɪzə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
an advisor is someone whose job is to
provide specialist advice to a person
or group of people
Noun
- a special advisor to the UN Secretary General
- Larson will remain within the company as a senior advisor
- for more information, consult your tax advisor
- a technical advisor to the Department of City Planning
- Verb: advise
- Noun: advice
- Adjective: advisory
- she advises both technology firms and investors
- he advised clients on mergers and other financial matters
- she took expert advice before buying the company
- they were impressed with the professional advice and guidance provided
- the advisory committee meets four times each year
- he also held several important advisory positions
affair
əˈfeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if someone has an affair, they
develop a sexual relationship with
someone who is not their long-term
partner
Noun
- have an affair
- Clark had had several affairs during his marriage
- my husband had an affair 20 years ago
- he accused her of having an affair
- she had a brief affair with a colleague
- both she and her spouse had extramarital affairs
affection
əˈfekʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
affection is the feeling you have for
someone when you like them very much
Noun uncount
- great/deep/genuine/mutual affection
- affection for someone
- hold someone in affection
- a show of affection
- he never felt any great affection for her
- I know she feels a deep affection for you
- he spoke of his mother with affection and respect
- a public show of affection
- outward signs of affection
- he was held in great affection by the whole family
- Adjective: affectionate
- Adverb: affectionately
- affectionate towards someone
- affectionately known as something
- affectionately called something
- she is very affectionate towards my aunt
- I have very affectionate memories of the teachers at my old school
- they were clearly a happy and affectionate family
- Mr Wilkins, or Wilko as he was affectionately known
affectionate
əˈfekʃ(ə)nət
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
someone who is affectionate shows
their love and affection for other
people in the way that they behave
towards them
Adjective
- be affectionate towards someone
- they are by nature very affectionate children
- he is a popular, affectionate boy with a good sense of humour
- my grandmother was strict, but always affectionate
- affectionate husbands
- she is very affectionate towards members of our family
- Noun: affection
- Adverb: affectionately
- great/deep/genuine/mutual affection
- affection for someone
- hold someone in affection
- a show of affection
- be affectionately known as something
- be affectionately called something
- he never felt any great affection for her
- I know she feels a deep affection for you
- he spoke of his mother with affection and respect
- a public show of affection
- outward signs of affection
- he was held in great affection by the whole family
- Mr Wilkins, or Wilko as he was affectionately known
- she spoke of him affectionately in public
- she greeted us affectionately on our arrival
- he patted his grandson's head affectionately
affluent
ˈæfluːənt
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if someone is affluent, they have a
lot of money and are able to live
comfortably. If an area is affluent,
it has expensive housing and shops
that sell good quality items, and the
people who live there are quite
rich
Adjective
- an affluent suburb/neighbourhood/area
- an affluent lifestyle
- Egremont developed as an affluent residential area in the early 19th century
- an affluent, carefree lifestyle
- Evans was born into an affluent family in North London
- there was a golf course used by some of the more affluent residents
- there are pockets of poverty, but in general this is an affluent area
- Noun: affluence
- her climb out of poverty to greater affluence
- the family lived in relative affluence
affordable housing
əˌfɔː(r)dəb(ə)l ˈhaʊzɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
affordable housing is flats or houses
that are available to rent or buy at
prices which ordinary people can
afford, especially when they are in an
area where most housing is very
expensive. Some areas need affordable
housing so that essential workers such
as nurses and teachers can live there
and work in the local schools and
hospitals
Noun uncount
- a desperate shortage of affordable housing
- the area offers affordable housing and excellent schools
- we need more affordable housing here
after
ˈɑːftə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you say you are after something,
you are trying to get it or buy it or
find it
Preposition\
- what kind of account were you after?
- did you find what you were after?
- I’m after a book on accountancy
- the police are after him again
aid
eɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
aid is money or other things that are
sent by a country to people who are
suffering because of war, poverty,
hunger etc
Noun uncount
- humanitarian aid
- financial aid
- foreign aid
- military aid
- current aid is $24 billion per year
- the country relies on foreign aid
- send emergency food aid
- fresh appeals for humanitarian aid
- foreign aid is expected to double to $50 billion
- a Red Cross aid convoy
alarm
əˈlɑː(r)m
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
an alarm is a warning that something
bad is about to happen very soon
Noun
- a neighbour heard screaming and raised the alarm
- the phone call turned out to be a false alarm (nothing bad was going to happen)
- the alarm was spread and many people ran to help in putting out the fire
- he saw and heard nothing to excite alarm
alert
əˈlɜː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
to alert someone means to tell them
or warn them about something
Verb
- alert someone to something
- be alerted of something
- this will alert farmers to any emergency
- a website that alerts users to special offers
- we immediately alerted the police
- none of the residents had been alerted of the danger
- Noun: alert
- Adjective: alert
- issue an alert
- an alert has been issued as more storms are expected
- a fire alert (a warning of a fire)
- a flood alert
- hospitals have been placed on high alert (warned that they need to be prepared for a lot of activity)
- he’s very alert (aware of what is happening)
all-inclusive
ˌɔːlɪnˈkluːsɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if a price is inclusive of something,
it includes the cost of that thing. If
a holiday is all-inclusive, it
includes all the costs of travelling,
hotels, meals, etc
Adjective
- an all-inclusive weekend break in Edinburgh for just £140
- all-inclusive packages to 12 European capitals
altogether
ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
you use altogether to emphasise that
something happens or is done
completely
Adverb
- face up to it, rather than avoiding it altogether
- it disappeared altogether
- the car slowed down until it stopped altogether
- in 1920, the book was banned altogether
ambiguity
ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
ambiguity is the quality a word or a
piece of writing has when it can be
understood in more than way
Noun
- much of the ambiguity arose through his use of rare words
- I believe in a very deliberate ambiguity in storytelling
- you should rewrite the last paragraph to eliminate the ambiguity
- there’s a lot of ambiguity in what he said
- I worded it carefully to avoid ambiguity
- Adjective: ambiguous
- Adverb: ambiguously
- Antonyms – Adjective: unambiguous
- Adverb: unambiguously
- some words are more ambiguous than others
- the interpretation of this ambiguous phrase led to a serious argument between the two professors
- he deliberately answered ambiguously
- he gave his opinion in clear and unambiguous terms
- any conditions attached to the offer must be stated unambiguously
ambiguous
æmˈbɪɡjuəs
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if something is ambiguous, its
meaning is not clear and it could be
understood in more than one way
Adjective
- his later paintings are quite ambiguous
- some of the language is a bit ambiguous
- I think she was being deliberately ambiguous
- the interpretation of this ambiguous phrase led to a serious argument between the two professors
- Adverb: ambiguously
- Noun: ambiguity
- Antonyms – Adjective: unambiguous
- Adverb: unambiguously
- he deliberately answered ambiguously
- there’s a lot of ambiguity in what he said
- I worded it carefully to avoid ambiguity
- he gave his opinion in clear and unambiguous terms
- any conditions attached to the offer must be stated unambiguously
amidst
əˈmɪdst
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
if something happens amidst other
events, feelings, or activities, it
happens with those things happening
all around at the same time. To be
amidst people means to have people all
around you. Amidst is a literary word,
and the usual word is amid
Preposition\
- her family made an emotional appeal amidst growing fears for her safety
- he resigned amidst allegations of corruption
- I took my place amidst an utter silence
- living amidst his family
amusement
əˈmjuːzmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
amusement is any activity that is not
work and that you do because you enjoy
it. An amusement park is a place where
there are a lot of machines that you
can ride on for pleasure and fun, and
where you can play games in order to
try and win prizes
Noun
- the amusement park is open from April to October
- there are two amusement arcades by the beach
- old fashioned amusement rides
- bumper cars, water slides, and other amusement park attractions
- the development of the amusement park industry
anarchy
ˈænə(r)ki
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
anarchy is a situation in which no
one obeys any rules
Noun uncount
- the country is sliding into anarchy
- we are in a state of anarchy
- a general atmosphere of near anarchy
- police reported that conditions in the prison were close to anarchy
- the cost of political failure includes violence and anarchy
- Noun: anarchist
- Noun: anarchism
- Adjective: anarchic
- anarchists who opposed any sort of political organisation
- the creativity and anarchism of the 1960s
- the result of truly anarchic individualist thinking
appalling
əˈpɔːlɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you say that something is
appalling, you mean that it shocks you
because it is so bad or
unpleasant
Adjective
- this wastefulness is appalling
- children were forced to work in appalling conditions
- the number of mosquitoes here is appalling
- you behaved in an absolutely appalling manner last night
- the stories they told were simply appalling
- Adjective: appalled
- Verb: appal
- an appalled expression crossed her face
- the prospect of another night outdoors appalled her
- I was absolutely appalled by what I saw
- the whole village was appalled and angry
- the decision to release him will appal a lot of people
appeal
əˈpiːl
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
an appeal is a formal request to
people in authority to consider their
decision again and change it,
especially when it is about a legal
decision in a court of law
Noun
- lodge/launch an appeal
- win/lose an appeal
- dismiss/reject an appeal
- a successful/unsuccessful appeal
- she’s launched an appeal against her sentence
- he’s planning to lodge an appeal
- he won his appeal
- you might lose your appeal
- the tribunal dismissed the appeal
- none of the defendants was granted the right of appeal (they were not allowed to submit a formal appeal against a court’s decision)
- Verb: appeal
- appeal against something
- can you appeal against the fine?
- he’s going to appeal against the verdict
- he’s been given leave to appeal (permission to appeal) to the High Court
appeal
əˈpiːl
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you appeal, or if you appeal
against a decision, you ask people in
authority to consider their decision
again and change it
Verb
- appeal against something
- can you appeal against the fine?
- he’s going to appeal against the verdict
- he’s been given leave to appeal (permission to appeal) to the High Court
- Noun: appeal
- lodge/launch an appeal
- win/lose an appeal
- dismiss/reject an appeal
- a successful/unsuccessful appeal
- she’s planning to lodge an appeal
- he won his appeal
- you might lose your appeal
- the tribunal dismissed the appeal
- the defendant was given leave to appeal (allowed to submit a formal appeal against a court’s decision)
appeal
əˈpiːl
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
if something appeals to you, you
think it is interesting and want to
know more about it or get more
involved in it
Verb
- appeal to someone
- there was something noble about him which appealed to her
- a range of books designed to appeal to children up to the age of 10
- what appealed to us about him was his sense of humour
- Noun: appeal
- Adjective: appealing
- broad/popular appeal
- lose appeal
- have/hold appeal
- the UK is worried it will lose its appeal
- a movie with a lot of appeal
- the sport has great appeal
- as a tourist destination, the town holds no appeal
- his manner is very appealing
- a very appealing design
approach
əˈprəʊtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to approach someone or something
means to move towards them so that you
get close to them
Verb
- the hero approaches the monster
- a dark figure slowly approached him
- they approached slowly, not wanting to make a noise
- I could hear footsteps approaching
- Noun: approach
- Adjective: approaching
- she glanced up at my approach (when she saw me coming closer)
- a heavy footstep announced his approach
- the approaching ship was a pirate ship
- Madison inspected the approaching figure with interest
approach
əˈprəʊtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to approach someone or something
means to move towards them so that you
get close to them
Verb
- he saw an old man approaching him
- as I approached the beach, I could see them by the ice-cream van
- the girl stood quite still as Marcus approached
- Noun: approach
- Adjective: approaching
- Jess sat quietly, watching my approach
- she couldn’t help feeling nervous at his approach
- the sound of an approaching car
approach
əˈprəʊtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
your approach to a problem or
situation is the way you decide to
deal with it or think about it
Noun
- a new/different/alternative approach
- a traditional approach
- take an approach (to something)
- you may need to change your approach to the subject
- a traditional approach to staff development
- it is time for a dramatically new approach
- if it is impossible to find an alternative approach, then the experiment should be halted
- Verb: approach
- approach a problem/task/matter/issue
- people approached the issue in different ways
- think about how you intend to approach the problem
arise
əˈraɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if an issue or question arises, it
starts to become important in such a
way that you have to deal with it or
answer it
Verb
- a matter/issue/problem/situation/question arises
- this situation would only arise if the prime minister were to die before the next election
- this issue arises in different branches of computing
- there may be financial problems arising from the patient's illness
- the question arose as to what needed to be done
army
ˈɑː(r)mi
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
an army is a large number of soldiers
who are trained to fight on land in
wars
Noun
- he served as a tank commander in the British army
- the Austrian army was completely defeated
- the British and French armies retreated to Dunkirk
- he joined the regular army (an army of soldiers who chose to join, and were not forced to join by the government)
- before the Winter War, no army had fought in such freezing conditions
- his army marched direct to Prague
- the army advanced quickly towards Berwick
array
əˈreɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
an array of things is a large number
of them
Noun
- an array of something
- a wide/vast array
- a dazzling array
- we have a wide array of modern equipment
- they’ve got a vast array of different phones
- the skirts come in an array of bright colours
- there’s such an array of fascinating things to see in St Petersburg
- we were faced with a bewildering array of electronic devices
assault
əˈsɔːlt
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
to assault someone means to attack
them violently
Verb
- physically/brutally assault someone
- verbally assault someone
- she denied physically assaulting her boss
- he was accused of assaulting a student
- she was savagely assaulted
- she violently assaulted me on at least half a dozen occasions
- he verbally assaulted the boy every time he saw him
- Noun: assault
- Smith was charged with sexual assault (attacking someone in a sexual way)
- the building was not designed to resist an assault
assault
əˈsɔːlt
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
assault is the crime of violently
attacking someone
Noun
- he was convicted of assault
- violent crimes such as murder and assault
- assault and theft make up the vast majority of crimes in this city
- Smith was found guilty of sexual assault (attacking someone in a sexual way)
- he was later charged with assault and battery (a legal term for attacking someone)
- Verb: assault
- physically/brutally assault someone
- she denied physically assaulting her boss
- he was accused of assaulting a student
- she violently assaulted me on at least half a dozen occasions
assert
əˈsɜː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to assert your power, authority, or
rights means to behave in a way that
shows you have that power, authority,
or right and that you intend to use
it
Verb
- the villain asserted his power over the prisoners
- as an employee you need to assert your rights before you lose them
- he felt a need to assert his superiority
- the king asserted his authority by force
- Noun: assertion
- Adjective: assertive
- Adverb: assertively
- an assertion of the rights of all women
- her continual assertions of cultural authority
- she was being more than usually assertive
- you need to adopt a more assertive approach
- the ability to handle difficult situations assertively
- you need to speak more assertively in class
assume
əˈsjuːm
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you assume something, you think it
must be true, even though you do not
have any direct evidence to support
this belief
Verb
- assume that
- it was assumed that the customer was at fault
- I mistakenly assumed the fish was fresh
- she just assumed that he would follow her
- why do you automatically assume that every American is rich?
- Noun: assumption
- Conjunction: assuming
- there is no way of knowing if your assumption is correct
- it was a reasonable assumption that was later proved to be correct
- read the documents before making any assumptions
- assuming he’s telling the truth, we’ll have to think again about who did it
asthma
ˈæsmə
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
asthma is a medical condition which
affects someone’s chest. People who
have asthma cough a lot and sometimes
have difficulty breathing
Noun uncount
- suffer from asthma
- an asthma attack
- severe/acute/chronic asthma
- one in seven primary-school children now suffers from asthma
- taken to hospital after an asthma attack
- her daughter has chronic asthma
- cases of asthma and eczema are rising by about 5% every year
- Adjective: asthmatic
- Noun: asthmatic
- an asthmatic attack
- an asthmatic patient
- I’m asthmatic, and so are my children
- provision of care for asthmatic patients
- a bad asthmatic attack
- this medicine should not be given to children or asthmatics
- she’s been an asthmatic for the last 20 years
attach
əˈtætʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
to attach something to something else
means to fix it there so that the two
things stay together. To attach
something to an email means to send a
computer file along with the message
you have written, for example
containing photos or documents
Verb
- I’ve attached a few photos
- I forgot to attach the map with directions to our house
- my mail software won’t let me attach files bigger than 2MB
- my electronic business card is attached
- Noun: attachment
- please print the attachment and sign it before posting it back to us
- I’ve sent three photos in the attachments
attendance
əˈtendəns
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
attendance is the fact of being
present somewhere where you are meant
to be or have paid to be. The
attendance at an event such as a
football match is the number of people
who go to it
Noun
- compulsory attendance
- regular attendance
- church/school attendance
- free school meals boost school attendance
- in Germany, school attendance isn't compulsory until age six
- regular church attendance was difficult for her
- church attendance dropped in the following decade
- 42,000 turned up, the highest attendance of the season
- the festival now records average attendances of about 10,000
- Verb: attend
- Noun: attendee
- my son has been attending school since age 4
- the cost to attend is £35
- we average 20 – 35 people attending every meeting
- ticket sales are limited to 500 attendees
- the conference featured over 100 speakers and 600 attendees
attendant
əˈtendənt
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
on an aeroplane, the attendants are
the people who help the passengers and
serve their food
Noun
- a flight attendant
- a cabin attendant
- a job as a flight attendant
- she works as a cabin attendant for Cathay Pacific
- Verb: attend
- attend to someone
- can you attend to the passenger in seat 14B, please?
auction
ˈɔːkʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
an auction is a sale at which people
offer increasing amounts of money
until nobody wants to offer any more.
The item is then bought by the person
who made the last and highest offer
Noun
- hold/conduct an auction
- sell something at auction
- let’s hold an auction to raise some money
- the contents of the house were sold at public auction
- the eight paintings were sold at auction
- an auction house (a business which holds auctions)
- an online auction site (where you can make offers over the Internet)
- a charity auction raised nearly £1 million
- Verb: auction
- Noun: auctioneer
- auction something off
- the office closed down and all the contents were auctioned off
- the silver will be auctioned tomorrow and the pictures on Tuesday
- buyers were gathered round the auctioneer's table
audition
ɔːˈdɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to audition for something means to
act or sing in front of someone so
that they can decide if you should
have a part in a play or musical. You
can also say that someone auditions
you when you do this
Verb
- they encouraged him to audition for a reality TV show
- hundreds of actors auditioned and 28 landed parts in the film
- he promised to audition me for the role of Ophelia
- Matt was auditioned on Tuesday and hired on Wednesday
- Noun: audition
- after a successful audition, Bergman was offered the part
- auditions will be held on 24th November
- out of 300 actors, 50 were selected for a second audition
authorised
ˈɔːθəraɪzd
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you are authorised to do
something, you have the official right
or power to do it. You can also say
that something is authorised if
someone has given permission for it to
happen
Adjective
- I’m not authorised to make that decision
- an authorised overdraft agreement
- authorised payments are made every Wednesday
- Verb: authorise
- Noun: authorisation
- Antonym: unauthorised
- he authorised me to sign the cheque
- no time off can be taken without authorisation
- you need written authorisation to go on the school trip
- unauthorised credit card usage
awkward
ˈɔːkwə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
an awkward social situation is one in
which people feel embarrassed because
they think something is wrong but they
do not know exactly what
Adjective
- there was a bit of an awkward silence
- there was an awkward moment when he mentioned Jack’s ex-wife
- there was an awkward pause in the conversation when Alan arrived
awkward
ˈɔːkwə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
something that is awkward is
difficult to deal with. If somewhere
is awkward to get to, it is difficult
to find or involves taking several
different sorts of transpoirt
Adjective
- an isolated village that was very awkward to get to
- it’s an awkward place to find, so let me drive you there
- it was a long and awkward journey, but we got there in time for dinner
background
ˈbækˌɡraʊnd
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if an object is in the background, it
is behind the main thing you are
looking at. Sounds you can hear but
are not listening to are in the
background
Noun
- background music
- background noise
- in the background
- the TV was on in the background
- you could see it in the background
- the dance music continued in the background
bad-tempered
ˌbæd ˈtempə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
someone who is bad-tempered gets
cross or angry very easily
Adjective
- my sister’s so bad-tempered and spoilt
- there’s no need to be so bad-tempered about it
- it was only after they married that she noticed how bad-tempered he had become
- I was questioned for ten minutes by a bad-tempered policeman
- until Irina described me as bad-tempered, I had considered myself a peaceable man
bag
bæɡ
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you bag things, or if you bag them
up, you put them into bags
Verb
- can you help me bag these cauliflowers?
- my job was bagging groceries at the supermarket
- then they are bagged up and sent by truck to the supermarket
bailout
ˈbeɪlaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
a bailout is a large sum of money
that is intended to rescue a company
or country that has very serious
financial problems, and that would
collapse completely without the extra
money
Noun
- a government bailout
- a bailout package
- they were saved from collapse by a government bailout
- the US government reportedly lost $11.2 billion on its bailout of General Motors
- the second largest bank bailout in history
- the EU agreed a $170 billion bailout package for Greece
- Phrasal verb: bail out
- the IMF has a $15.6 billion fund to bail out countries in financial distress
ban
bæn
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if someone in authority bans
something, they do not allow it. If
they ban someone from doing something,
they do not allow them to do it
Verb
- ban someone from doing something
- my parents banned me from playing video games
- he was permanently banned from visiting his ex-wife
- all flights have been banned in the volcano region
- tobacco advertising was banned years ago
- Noun: ban
- Adjective: banned
- the public smoking ban was introduced in 2007
- he received a lifetime ban from baseball for drug abuse
- two cyclists tested positive for banned substances (had taken drugs that were not allowed)
- he was charged with possession of banned publications
band
bænd
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
a band is a group of musicians who
play music together
Noun
- a rock/punk/brass/jazz band
- a dance band
- a live band
- a comfortable bar with a jazz band
- they hired a live band for the reception (the musicians were there, not a recording of them)
- the band spent November on tour (travelling around a country to different concerts)
- the band performs regularly in Italy
- four months later, the band announced their split
bandage
ˈbændɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a bandage is a long piece of cloth
that you wrap around a part of your
body that is injured
Noun
- we put a bandage on it
- I wrapped the bandage round his arm
- he had a bandage on his hand
- once the bandage is removed, you’ll be able to have a shower
- the nurse came every day to change the bandages
- Verb: bandage
- we bandaged his leg
- he pointed to his bandaged arm
- she bandaged Ray’s foot with her scarf
bankrupt
ˈbæŋkrʌpt
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if a company is bankrupt, it does not
have enough money to pay all its debts
and so cannot continue to exist.
People who are bankrupt cannot pay
their debts, and their affairs are
taken over by solicitors
Adjective
- go bankrupt
- be declared bankrupt
- a lot of companies have gone bankrupt recently
- the company was declared bankrupt last year
- the business is almost bankrupt
- later in life he became bankrupt
- the country is effectively bankrupt with debts of £7 trillion
- Verb: bankrupt
- Noun: bankruptcy
- Noun: bankrupt
- the losses nearly bankrupted the business
- just one more major accident will bankrupt the company
- the firm later fell into bankruptcy
- the couple now face bankruptcy
- an undischarged bankrupt may not act as the director of a company (someone who became bankrupt and whose affairs are still not under his or her control)
- I was officially declared a bankrupt
bankruptcy
ˈbæŋkrʌptsi
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
bankruptcy is a situation when
someone does not have enough money to
pay all their debts
Noun
- declare bankruptcy
- he later fell into bankruptcy
- the couple now face bankruptcy
- she was close to bankruptcy
- the number of bankruptcies has risen
- he declared bankruptcy and eventually lost his home
- Steve Jobs brought Apple from near bankruptcy to profitability by 1998
- Adjective: bankrupt
- Verb: bankrupt
- go bankrupt
- be declared bankrupt
- the company went bankrupt last year
- they have been declared bankrupt
- he’s virtually bankrupt
- just one more major accident will bankrupt the company
- due to poor financial management, the company was bankrupted
barrier
ˈbæriə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
a barrier is a physical object that
blocks a road or path and stops you
getting past. You can refer to any
problem that stops you doing what you
want to do as a barrier
Noun
- a barrier to (doing) something
- won’t the language be a barrier?
- we want to remove barriers that prevent poorer students going to university
- young families are facing several barriers to becoming home buyers
- the biggest barrier to her success was fear
base
beɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if a business or organisation is
based somewhere, that is where its
main offices are. If a person is based
somewhere, that is where they normally
live or work when they are not
travelling for their job
Verb
- all the embassies are based in this district
- I’m based in Amsterdam now, but spend one week a month in Berlin
- the company moved to the London area, and based itself in Barnet
bear
beə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you can’t bear something, you
dislike it very much and do not want
it to continue any more
Verb
- I’m thinking of leaving. I just can’t bear it here
- he couldn’t bear the pain of losing his only son
- I couldn’t bear the thought of waking up in prison
- they couldn’t bear the idea of being separated
bear
beə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if something doesn’t bear thinking
about, it is so horrible or shocking
that you don’t want to think about
it
Verb
- don’t remind me of how he died; it doesn’t bear thinking about
- suppose we’d got on that plane? It doesn’t bear thinking about
beat
biːt
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
to beat someone means to hit them
hard and repeatedly, causing injury
and pain
Verb
- beat someone to death
- be beaten unconscious
- he’d been attacked, then beaten to death
- they beat him so hard that he had bruises for weeks
- he was beaten unconscious by the force of the blow
- Adjective: beaten
- newspapers carried photos of the beaten man
beg
bɛɡ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you beg someone for something, you
ask them for it in an anxious or
desperate way
Verb
- beg someone for something
- beg someone to do something
- beg for something
- beg something
- beg of someone
- he begged her forgiveness
- I beg you to reconsider
- let me have it, I beg of you
- can I beg a slice of bread from you?
- he came round begging for another chance
- Noun: beggar
- a street beggar
- a poor beggar
beneficiary
ˌbenɪˈfɪʃəri
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
a beneficiary of something is someone
who gets a benefit or advantage from
it
Noun
- a beneficiary of something
- the main/principal/primary beneficiary
- the main beneficiary of the deal
- I was the sole beneficiary of her will (the only person who received money from her will after she died)
- borrowers will be the main beneficiaries if interest rates fall
bid
bɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
a bid is an attempt to do
something
Noun
- a bid for something
- a bid to do something
- a bid to tackle rising obesity rates
- launch a takeover bid (an attempt to take over a company)
- he made a bid for freedom (tried to escape)
- the prime minister appeared on TV in a bid to win public support
big data
ˈbɪɡ ˌdeɪtə
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
big data is the very large amount of
information that is now available
because of the number of documents
that can be searched on the Internet,
and that needs special computer
programs in order to be successfully
analysed
Noun uncount
- governments, too, are interested in big data
- the promise of big data in health care is potentially revolutionary
- many organisations are developing a big data strategy
big-budget
bɪɡ ˈbʌdʒɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
a budget is the amount of money you
have available or that you plan to
spend on things. A big-budget film is
one that costs a lot of money to
make
Adjective
- a big-budget movie/film/production
- we've made big-budget dramas and we've also made little half-hour shows
- she co-starred with Brad Pitt in the big-budget film "Troy"
- the first big-budget jazz film
- Antonym – Adjective: low-budget
- a low-budget movie/film/production
- I worked on low-budget films that nobody saw
- both movies were low-budget, and were never released in Britain
blame
bleɪm
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you blame someone, you accuse them
of being responsible for something bad
that has happened
Verb
- blame someone for something
- blame something on someone or something
- be to blame
- don’t blame me if your life is a disaster!
- nobody is blaming you – it was an accident
- Murray blamed his defeat on a lack of concentration
- she blamed me for the accident
- he was to blame for our being late
- Noun: blame
- Adjective: blameless
- Adverb: blamelessly
- the blame lies/rests with someone
- get the blame
- put/pin the blame on someone
- some of the blame lies with the hospital
- I always got the blame when my sister was naughty
- he pinned the blame on the prime minister
- she had led a blameless life
- she knew her own conduct had not been entirely blameless
- she acted blamelessly throughout the whole process
blend
blend
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
to blend things means to mix them
together so that they become one
substance
Verb
- blend something together
- blend the whole mixture until it’s smooth
- blend the butter and sugar together
- they can blend the colours for you
- the different instruments blend together really well
- Noun: blend
- a delicious blend of flavours
- the perfect blend of sun, sea and sand
- our own blend of coffee (using different sorts of coffee beans)
blessing
ˈblesɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a blessing is a set of words that are
spoken in order to ask God to take
care of someone or something
Noun
- give a blessing
- he whispered special holy words in the baby’s ear as a blessing for his future life
- she received a blessing from the Pope
- the priest gave a blessing, and then we left
- may God's blessing be with us all
- Verb: bless
- Adjective: blessed
- God bless you all this Christmas time
- ask God to bless those who persecute you
- may the Lord bless you on your journey
- blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
blister
ˈblɪstə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
a blister is a swollen area on your
skin that is full of clear liquid and
is caused by rubbing the skin too
much
Noun
- I got terrible blisters
- blisters on my feet
- a nasty blister on my left heel
- he had blood blisters on both hands (blisters that were filled with blood)
- my new shoes gave me blisters straight away
blossom
ˈblɒs(ə)m
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
blossom is the flowers that grow on
trees before the fruit develop. When a
tree blossoms, it has blossom on its
branches. If a person blossoms or if
their career blossoms, they become
happy and successful
Noun
- be in blossom
- blossom comes out
- spring is a good time because of all the blossom on the trees
- these blossoms appear long before the leaves
- fruit trees covered in blossom
- the cherry trees are in blossom
- beautiful pink blossom
- the apple blossom has come out (the flowers have opened)
- Verb: blossom
- since she won an Oscar her career has blossomed
- they met at college, and slowly their relationship blossomed
blow down
ˈbləʊ ˌdaʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if something is blown down, it
collapses or is destroyed by very
strong winds in a storm
Phrasal verb
- the storm blew down a tree which hit our house
- the garage was blown down in the storm
- we had to rebuild the shed after the wind had blown it down
board
bɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
to board a plane or ship means to get
on it. When a plane is boarding, the
passengers are getting on it
Verb
- do not try and board the plane before you are told to
- we boarded over an hour late
- you’ll be able to board shortly
- we’ll be boarding in 20 minutes
- Noun: boarding
- boarding will start at 10:45
- please wait in the lounge for the boarding announcement
- a boarding pass (a document that shows you are entitled to get on a particular plane)
board
bɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
the board of a company is the
committee of directors who are in
charge of it and make all the
important decisions
Noun
- be on the board
- sit on the board
- a board meeting
- board members
- the board decided it was time for him to go (leave the company)
- he’s on the board of the bank
- the idea was rejected by board members
- two people have resigned from the board
- she sits on the board of two private companies
- Noun: boardroom
- the meeting took place in the boardroom
- a boardroom power struggle (a disagreement between members of a board)
- public anger at the size of boardroom pay rises (pay rises for directors of companies)
boiler
ˈbɔɪlə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
a boiler is a device that burns coal,
gas, or oil in order to provide heat
and hot water for a building
Noun
- the boiler has stopped working again
- they can’t install a new boiler until next week
- the boiler is in the cellar
- a gas-fired boiler (one that burns gas)
- the landlord still hasn’t replaced our boiler
bold
bəʊld
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
bold colours are very bright and
catch your attention very quickly. In
books and magazines, bold letters are
slightly thicker and look darker than
the other letters so that they catch
your attention easily
Adjective
- don't be scared to wear bold colours this season
- headings should be in bold
- in the autumn its leaves turn a bold red
bombing
ˈbɒmɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
a bombing is a crime in which someone
leaves a bomb in a public place and
allows it to explode
Noun
- a bombing in the city centre
- two men have been charged with the bombings
- a bombing campaign
- there’s been a wave of bombings in recent weeks
- it was believed to be a suicide bombing (a bombing in which the criminals kill themselves as well as other people)
- Noun: bomber
- on June 13, suicide bombers attacked the central bank
- it was an easy target for any gunman or bomber
bond
bɒnd
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
if people bond, they develop an
ability to work or live together based
on trust and respect and
friendship
Verb
- bond with someone
- the team has bonded together well
- she found it easy to bond with her students
- I met her when I went to college and we bonded immediately
- Noun: bond
- a close/strong/deep bond
- create/develop/form a bond
- strengthen a bond
- there’s a deep bond between us
- an emotional bond between the two survivors
- the ability of mother and daughter to form a bond with each other
- We spent long hours in the labs, but this only strengthened the bonds between fellow classmates
bond
bɒnd
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
if there is a bond between people,
they have developed an ability to work
or live together based on trust and
respect and friendship
Noun
- a close/strong/deep bond
- create/develop/form a bond
- strengthen a bond
- there’s a deep bond between us
- an emotional bond between the two survivors
- the ability of mother and daughter to form a bond with each other
- We spent long hours in the labs, but this only strengthened the bonds between fellow classmates
- Verb: bond
- bond with someone
- the team has bonded together well
- she found it easy to bond with her students
- I met her when I went to college and we bonded immediately
bonfire
ˈbɒnˌfaɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
a bonfire is a big fire outdoors,
either in order to burn rubbish or as
part of a celebration. In Britain,
Bonfire Night is on November 5th, when
people have bonfires and let off
fireworks to remember the day when Guy
Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of
Parliament in 1605
Noun
- we’re making a bonfire
- throw some more wood on the bonfire
- the bonfire didn’t go out till the morning
- luckily, the rain came too late to spoil the bonfire
boom
buːm
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a boom is a period when a country’s
economy is very successful and when
there is a lot of business activity.
When this is happening, you can say
that the economy is booming
Verb
- the area was already starting to boom
- the economy was booming
- business is booming at the moment
- Adjective: booming
- Noun: boom
- a booming economy
- solar power is a booming industry
- the city is undergoing an economic boom
- the building boom of the 1990s
- a boom in house prices
boost
buːst
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
to boost something means to improve
it or increase it.
Verb
- their policies have boosted our reputation
- this could help to boost profits
- an attempt to boost tourism in the area
- this win has boosted the team’s confidence
- the hot weather dramatically boosted demand for cold drinks
- Noun: boost
- give something a boost
- this should provide a boost for the economy
- a boost for her confidence
- some tips on how to give your Facebook profile a much needed boost
booth
buːð
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
a booth is an area in a restaurant,
bar, or club which has sides on it so
that you can have some privacy from
the other people there
Noun
- eight of us tried to squeeze into a booth for six
- we could hear what the people in the next booth were saying
- there were four karaoke booths upstairs
bore
bɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you refer to someone as a bore,
you mean that they talk in a very dull
and uninteresting way
Noun
- a terrible/crashing bore
- don’t be such a bore
- you’re becoming a terrible bore, Boris
- a reputation for being something of a bore
- his uncle was a crashing bore (extremely boring)
- Adjective: boring
- Verb: bore
- Adjective: bored
- Noun: boredom
- excruciatingly/incredibly boring
- be bored stiff/rigid
- sheer boredom
- such a boring meeting
- am I boring you?
- I was bored stiff (extremely bored)
- if you’re bored indoors, why don’t you go outside and play?
- the film was two hours of sheer boredom
- the scenery was flat, with not even any trees to relieve the boredom
bore
bɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you refer to someone as a bore,
you mean that they talk in a very dull
and uninteresting way
Noun
- a terrible/crashing bore
- don’t be such a bore
- you’re becoming a terrible bore, Boris
- a reputation for being something of a bore
- his uncle was a crashing bore (extremely boring)
- Adjective: boring
- Verb: bore
- Adjective: bored
- Noun: boredom
- excruciatingly/incredibly boring
- be bored stiff/rigid
- sheer boredom
- such a boring meeting
- am I boring you?
- I was bored stiff (extremely bored)
- if you’re bored indoors, why don’t you go outside and play?
- the film was two hours of sheer boredom
- the scenery was flat, with not even any trees to relieve the boredom
boredom
ˈbɔː(r)dəm
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
boredom is the state of being
bored
Noun uncount
- sheer boredom
- relieve the boredom
- they end up committing crime simply out of boredom
- the film was two hours of sheer boredom
- the scenery was flat, with not even any trees to relieve the boredom
- put toys in your rabbit's cage to prevent boredom
- Verb: bore
- Adjective: boring
- Adjective: bored
- Noun: bore
- am I boring you?
- such a boring meeting
- I was bored stiff (extremely bored)
- if you’re bored indoors, why don’t you go outside and play?
- don’t be such a bore
- you’re becoming a terrible bore, Boris
bother
ˈbɒðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if something bothers you, you you
worry about it a lot and you don’t
like it
Verb
- be bothered about/by something
- it never bothered me that I couldn’t cook
- many residents were bothered by the constant noise
- he’s always rude to people he doesn’t know. Don’t let it bother you
- Adjective: bothered
- bothered about something
- he doesn’t seem bothered about not having a car
bother
ˈbɒðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if you don’t bother to do something,
you deliberately do not do it because
you do not think it is worth spending
any effort on it
Verb
- not bother to do something
- not bother doing something
- not bother with/about something
- he decided not to bother graduating
- I didn’t even bother to open it
- a lot of people didn’t bother voting
- you don’t need to bother with changing the sheets
bottom
ˈbɒtəm
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
the bottom of an organization is the
lowest level in it, where the work
requires the least amount of
experience or skill and the pay is the
lowest
Noun
- start at the bottom
- our CEO started at the bottom 30 years ago
- Antonym: top
- He worked his way up to the top in just 12 years.
bounce
baʊns
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if something bounces, it hits a
surface and then goes back up in the
direction it came from
Verb
- hailstones started bouncing off the car
- the ball bounced off the edge of the table
- the cup fell and bounced twice on the floor, but it didn’t break
bound
baʊnd
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if something is bound to happen, it
is certain to happen as a natural
result of the present situation
Adjective
- the couple are bound to get together
- a healthy lifestyle is bound to help
- I suppose it was bound to happen
- the speech was bound to annoy the liberals
boundary
ˈbaʊnd(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
the boundary of a physical area is
the edge, where one area stops and
another starts. A boundary is also the
point at which one thing starts to
become another
Noun
- a boundary between things
- the remains of the 14th-century wall mark the old city boundary
- the boundary between life and death
- the boundaries betwen public and private life
- a clear boundary between reality and fantasy
boundary
ˈbaʊnd(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you set boundaries on behaviour,
you explain what is acceptable and
what is not acceptable so that people
know what they can and cannot do
Noun
- set boundaries
- cross/overstep the boundary
- it’s a good idea to set children boundaries
- give them strict boundaries
- I knew I’d overstepped the boundary
- I’ve always kept within the boundaries
- teenagers like to cross the boundaries
branch
brɑːntʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
a branch is a part of a tree that
grows out from the trunk
Noun
- a bird can only sit on one branch
- the topmost branch of the tree (the highest one)
- we cut off some of the overhanging branches
- a dead branch had blown off the tree
bravery
ˈbreɪvəri
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
bravery is the quality and behaviour
involved in being brave
Noun uncount
- show/display bravery
- bullfighting is full of drama, risk and bravery
- he was awarded a medal for exceptional bravery
- George displayed great bravery
- they have shown extraordinary bravery and determination
- Adjective: brave
- Adverb: bravely
- fight/battle/struggle bravely
- it was an incredibly brave thing to do
- the bravest man I ever knew
- your father was killed fighting bravely against the enemy
- he fell bravely defending his country
break
breɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
a break is a short holiday when you
go away somewhere
Noun
- go on a break
- have a break
- a weekend/short break
- a city break
- we went on a weekend break to Paris
- special offer short breaks available if you book today
- I can’t afford a break, even in Manchester
break
breɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
when you are at work, a break is a
time when you stop working and relax
for a short while before starting to
work again
Noun
- a lunch/tea/coffee break
- a mid-morning break
- a short/long break
- take a break at 10
- I worked from 8 till 4 without a break
- that was a long break
break even
ˌbreɪk ˈiːv(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if a business breaks even, it
receives about the same amount of
money as it spends, so it makes no
profit and no loss
Phrasal verb
- before too long, we broke even
- the airline is expected to break even next year
- after four years in business, they still haven’t broken even
- how much revenue do you need to break even?
- Noun: breakeven
- breakeven is when total revenue equals total costs
- I’ll be glad when we reach a breakeven point
break into
ˌbreɪk ˈɪntuː
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
to break into a place means to enter
it using force, usually in order to
steal something
Phrasal verb
- the house was broken into while we were away
- someone broke into my car and stole my radio
- I lost my keys and had to break into my own flat
- Noun: break-in
- a series of break-ins in the area
- there is a break-in every 60 seconds in the UK
break up
ˈbreɪk ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if someone breaks up a party, a
meeting, or a demonstration, they make
everyone leave because there has been
violence or wild behaviour. If a
party, meeting, or demonstration
breaks up, it comes to an end and
everyone goes away
Phrasal verb
- once the demonstration turned violent, the police moved in to break it up
- trying to break up the fight
- the meeting broke up at four o’clock
- the party finally broke up at midnight
breakdown
ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if there is a breakdown, a process,
relationship, or machine stops working
properly
Noun
- the problem of family breakdown
- a breakdown in communication
- we had a breakdown on the motorway (the car stopped working)
- during his childhood he had three nervous breakdowns (incidents when he suffered serious mental depression)
- we try not to tell passengers about mechanical breakdowns
- Phrasal verb: break down
- the car’s always breaking down
- his marriage broke down last year
breath
breθˌ
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
your breath is how quickly you are
breathing in and out
Noun
- be out of breath
- be short of breath
- get your breath back
- it took me ten minutes to get my breath back (start breathing easily after exercise)
- she gets out of breath just walking up the stairs (has difficulty breathing)
- he sometimes gets short of breath (unable to breathe easily)
- I was gasping for breath by the time I reached the top (I was breathing very fast)
- Verb: breathe
- Adjective: breathless
- breathe heavily
- breathe easily
- breathe deeply
- I was breathing more and more heavily
- as nightfall approached he was barely breathing
- Lucien breathed deeply and closed his eyes
- he was breathless from running so fast
- she was quite breathless, and thought she was going to faint
breeder
ˈbriːdə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
a breeder is someone who keeps
animals and produces and sells young
animals
Noun
- bull breeders were finding it hard to make a profit
- a successful animal breeder
- a dog breeder
- horse breeders
- he came from a rich family of cattle breeders
- Verb: breed
- Noun: breed
- they breed cattle on the farm
- a very popular breed of dog (particular type of dog)
bride
braɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
at a wedding, the bride is the woman
who is getting married
Noun
- a photo of the bride and groom
- the bride arrived at the door of the church with her father
- the best man proposed a toast to the bride
- the bride’s mother looked so proud
- Adjective: bridal
- bridal wear
- a bridal gown
- she started the dancing still in her bridal gown
- the bridal car arrived perfectly on time
bring on
ˈbrɪŋ ˌɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if something brings on something bad
or unwanted, it causes it or makes it
start happening. If you say that
someone brought it on himself or
brought it on herself, you mean that
it was their own fault that something
bad happened to them
Phrasal verb
- be brought on by something
- I get really bad headaches, and eating fish usually brings one on
- it may have been brought on by an allergy
- and what brought on that fit of anger?
- he brought it on himself so he won’t get any sympathy from me
bruise
bruːz
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
a bruise is a dark mark on your skin
where you have hit it
Noun
- he had some cuts and bruises
- a nasty bruise on his face
- she only suffered a few minor bruises
- a dark bruise on one cheek
- my leg was badly bruised
- Verb: bruise
- Noun: bruising
- I bruise quite easily (even a gentle knock will give me a bruise)
- Curry bruised his ribs during training
- he suffered a broken nose and bruising
- the bruising was caused by kicks to the face
bucket
ˈbʌkɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a bucket is a container with a handle
and an open top that you use for
carrying water. The amount that a
bucket can contain is a
bucketful
Noun
- a bucket of water
- a plastic bucket
- as a joke, she threw a bucket of water over me
- the bucket contained a sponge as well as warm soapy water
- Noun: bucketful
- she pulled a bucketful of water from the well
budget
ˈbʌdʒɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
your budget is the amount of money
you can spend without getting into
trouble. If you manage your budget
well, you make sure you know how much
you have and how much you can afford
to spend on your regular living
costs
Noun
- an annual/monthly/weekly budget
- a tight budget
- a fixed/limited budget
- he’s never learned how to manage a budget
- they worked out their monthly budget to the last euro
- he made the film on a very tight budget (with no money to spare)
- we do what we can with a very limited budget
- prices to suit every budget (for people with very little money as well as people with a lot of money)
- we have a weekly budget of £50 for food
- Verb: budget
- Adjective: budgetary
- budget for something
- we didn’t budget for a new washing machine
- we are budgeting for 10% sales growth next year
- we need better budgetary control
bully
ˈbʊli
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to bully someone means to treat them
very badly because they are not strong
enough to be able to fight back
Verb
- he was often bullied at school
- he used to bully his little brother
- he often bullies colleagues if he thinks they are too weak to respond
- soon, other kids were bullying her both online and in person
- Noun: bully
- Noun: bullying
- we all avoided Mark, the school bully
- kids can be bullies or victims – and sometimes both
- this bullying behaviour needs to stop
- everyone was worried about bullying in the factory
bump
bʌmp
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
if you bump into something, you knock
against it accidentally. If you bump a
part of your body, it accidentally
knocks against something
Verb
- I’m always tripping over and bumping into things
- I bumped my knee on the table
- mind you don’t bump your head
- I fell down and bumped my nose
- Noun: bump
- I got a bump on the head
- you’ll pick up bumps and bruises playing rugby
bumpy
ˈbʌmpi
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
a bumpy surface is very uneven and
has a lot of raised parts on it. A
bumpy ride is uncomfortable because
the car or plane you are in is
bouncing up and down a lot
Adjective
- a bumpy road/track
- a bumpy ride/drive/journey
- after a very bumpy ride, they arrived at the farmhouse
- the path was bumpy in places
- the plane made a bumpy landing
- a bumpy flight through a thunderstorm
- Noun: bump
- he braked too late and hit the bump at speed
- the car rattled loudly as it went over the bumps in the road
- a speed bump (a deliberately raised strip across a road which is meant to make drivers slow down)
bunch
bʌntʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
a bunch of people is a number of them
who are all together
Noun
- a bunch of friends/colleagues/mates/friends/kids
- a bunch of us met up for a meal at the weekend
- they’re a nice bunch of kids
- he was hanging out near the station with a bunch of friends
bundle
ˈbʌnd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
a bundle of things is a collection of
them tied together loosely so that
they can be carried together
Noun
- tie something in a bundle
- a bundle of something
- they kept a small bundle of wood for themselves
- a small bundle of laundry
- a bundle of papers
- tie the herbs into a bundle
- Verb: bundle
- he bundled up his papers and left the meeting
- she bundled up her clothes and threw them in the washing machine
bureaucracy
bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
a bureaucracy is a system of
administration that involves a lot of
employees. Bureaucracy is the set of
rigid and complicated rules that are
in force there
Noun
- they tend not to perform well in bureaucracies
- the aim was to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy
- the health care system has a totally inefficient bureaucracy surrounding it
- a centralised bureaucracy replaced the old system
- government promises to cut bureaucracy
- Noun: bureaucrat
- Adjective: bureaucratic
- state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details of everyday life
- he blamed the faceless bureaucrats who made the rules
- a senior bureaucrat in the defence ministry
- there were problems caused by bureaucratic inefficiency
- a lengthy and exhaustive bureaucratic process
- the current planning system is too centralised and bureaucratic
bureaucracy
bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
a bureaucracy is a system of
administration that involves a lot of
employees. Bureaucracy is the set of
rigid and complicated rules that are
typical of such a system
Noun
- there’s too much bureaucracy involved
- they tend not to perform well in bureaucracies
- the aim was to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy
- the health care system has a totally inefficient bureaucracy surrounding it
- a centralised bureaucracy replaced the old system
- government promises to cut bureaucracy
- Noun: bureaucrat
- Noun: bureaucrat
- Adjective: bureaucratic
- state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details of everyday life
- he blamed the faceless bureaucrats who made the rules
- a senior bureaucrat in the defence ministry
- there were problems caused by bureaucratic inefficiency
- a lengthy and exhaustive bureaucratic process
- the current planning system is too centralised and bureaucratic
bureaucratic
ˌbjʊərəˈkrætɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if a process is very bureaucratic, it
involves a lot of rigid and
complicated rules
Adjective
- there were problems caused by bureaucratic inefficiency
- a legal and bureaucratic nightmare
- a lengthy and exhaustive bureaucratic process
- the current planning system is too centralised and bureaucratic
- Noun: bureaucrat
- Noun: bureaucracy
- state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details of everyday life
- he blamed the faceless bureaucrats who made the rules
- a senior bureaucrat in the defence ministry
- the aim was to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy
- a centralised bureaucracy replaced the old system
- government promises to cut bureaucracy
burglary
ˈbɜː(r)ɡləri
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
a burglary is a crime in which
someone enters a building and steals
something
Noun
- commit a burglary
- investigate a burglary
- there have been a lot of burglaries in the area
- an attempted burglary
- when did the burglary take place?
- Freddie was accused of committing a burglary on Oak Street
- police are investigating a series of burglaries
- Noun: burglar
- Verb: burgle
- the police have arrested two burglars
- the burglars stole jewellery and electrical items
- we got back and found the house had been burgled
- they were accused of burgling two separate homes in Wilton Street
burst into
ˈbɜː(r)st ˌɪntə
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you burst into tears, laughter, or
song, you suddenly start crying,
laughing, or singing
Phrasal verb
- burst into tears/laughter/song/applause
- she kept bursting into tears
- the child burst into uncontrollable sobs
- the audience burst into wild applause
burst out
ˈbɜː(r)st ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you burst out laughing or crying,
you suddenly start laughing or crying.
You can also say that you burst into
laughter or tears.
Phrasal verb
- burst out laughing/crying/singing
- Donna couldn’t help it – she just burst out laughing
- she thought he was dead and burst out crying
- she kept bursting into tears
- he burst into loud laughter
bury
ˈberi
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
to bury someone means to put their
body in the ground after they
die
Verb
- do you want to be buried or cremated?
- she’s buried in the local cemetery
- we buried him last week
- she's dead and buried in a grave in Portree
- his last words were "Bury me in my uniform"
- Noun: burial
- the burial will take place next Tuesday
- remains of Roman burials have been discovered at the site
cab
kæb
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
a cab is a car which takes people
where they want to go in exchange for
a payment to the driver. People very
often refer to cabs as taxis
Noun
- a cab fare
- a cab ride
- take/get/hire a cab
- order a cab
- it was raining, so we took a cab
- a twenty-minute cab ride
- the cab fare was $33
- let’s order a cab to get to the airport tomorrow
camp
kæmp
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if you camp somewhere, you stay there
for a short time and sleep in a tent
that you put up
Verb
- we camped on the festival site
- we didn’t have enough money for hotels so we camped
- the farmer let us camp in one of his fields
- Noun: camp
- Noun: camping
- pitch/set up camp
- go camping
- at nine o'clock we pitched camp (put up tents and made the camp ready)
- they spent a pleasant evening around the camp fire
- we used to go camping every weekend in the summer
- he packed up the camping gear and put it in the car
- I enjoy outdoor activities like fishing and camping
campaign
kæmˈpeɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
a campaign is a set of organised
activities that are intended to
achieve a particular result
Noun
- a campaign against something
- a campaign for something
- an advertising/marketing campaign
- an election campaign
- a campaign against the new tourist development
- an extensive public education campaign
- the campaign aims to create jobs in the manufacturing sector
- their latest advertising campaign was launched last year
- the campaign was successful and management dropped the plan
- the election campaign was limited to 90 days
- Verb: campaign
- Noun: campaigner
- campaign against something
- campaign for something
- a protest group campaigned against the proposed reforms
- campaigning for a change in the law
- a campaigner for political freedom
- local campaigners protested outside the factory
capital
ˈkæpɪt(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
capital is money that you invest or
use to start a business
Noun uncount
- we borrowed the rest of the capital we needed
- the business was set up using foreign capital
- we don’t have enough capital
- they’ve sunk a lot of capital into the business
- selling property to release capital
- capital expenditure (money a company spends on things it is going to keep)
capture
ˈkæptʃə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
to capture something on film means to
successfully record it
Verb
- the attack was captured on CCTV
- it was all captured on film
- a passer-by captured the moment on his mobile
carry out
ˈkæri aʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
to carry out a task or a piece of
work means to do everything that is
involved in that particular task or
piece of work
Phrasal verb
- the work will be carried out by a British firm
- we need to carry out more research
- the police will carry out an investigation
- they carried out a survey
case study
ˈkeɪs ˌstʌdi
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
a case study is a detailed
examination of the development of a
particular person, group, or situation
over a period of time. Case studies
are often done in order to be able to
make general statements about a whole
class of people or things, not just
the ones that have been studied
Noun
- case studies of patients with severe heart failure
- the analysis is based on seven case studies covering 11 countries
- the next two chapters present the case studies
- this case study illustrates a number of points
cash flow
ˈkæʃ fləʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
cash flow is the money that comes
into a company as income and goes out
on wages, materials, and other
costs
Noun
- healthy cash flow
- positive/negative cash flow
- the company had awful cash flow problems
- a negative cash flow sometimes occurs at the end of a product's life cycle
- the department responsible for monitoring cash flow
cash point
ˈkæʃˌpɔɪnt
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
a cash point is a machine, usually in
the outside wall of a bank or other
building, which lets people take money
from their bank accounts by using
their bank card
Noun
- a cash point machine
- have you ever had problems using a cash point abroad?
- there’s a cash point outside the supermarket
- the cash point was out of order
casually
ˈkæʒuəli
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if people dress casually, they wear
comfortable clothes that are suitable
for informal occasions
Adverb
- dress casually
- casually dressed
- he was casually dressed in trainers, jeans and a sweatshirt
- more and more employees are dressing casually for work
- Adjective: casual
- casual wear/clothes/clothing/style
- we stock casual clothing for all the family
- her designs tend towards a casual style
- smart casual wear is acceptable in the club
catch
kætʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
a catch is a difficulty or problem
that is not very obvious
Noun
- there’s just one catch
- it sounds brilliant – so what’s the catch?
- there must be a catch
- the catch is that you have to pay the whole cost within 48 hours
catch out
ˈkætʃ ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you get caught out by something,
you get into a difficult situation
because you were not able to stop it
developing
Phrasal verb
- be/get caught out by something
- investors risk getting caught out by another recession
- be careful on the beach; the tide comes in very fast and it can catch you out
catchy
ˈkætʃi
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
a catchy tune, slogan, phrase etc. is
one that is very easy to
remember
Adjective
- it’s an easy tune to remember – so catchy
- a great song with a catchy chorus
- a catchy slogan
categorically
ˌkætəˈɡɒrɪkli
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you say something categorically,
you say it very firmly and
definitely
Adverb
- categorically deny/reject/refuse something
- categorically state something
- the firm categorically denied any involvement in the scandal
- he categorically refused to let me speak to her
- we want to state categorically our opposition to the plan
- drivers are categorically prohibited from using phones while driving
- Adjective: categorical
- a categorical assurance that taxes would not be increased
- Klein issued a categorical denial of all the accusationss
causal
ˈkɔːz(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
if there is a causal link or
relationship between two things, one
of them is the cause of the other
one
Adjective
- proving causal links is always difficult
- there is a causal relationship between diet and health
- a causal explanation is one that explains the action
- it's often the case that a specific causal factor cannot be identified
- Noun: cause
- Verb: cause
- the cause of something
- heart attacks are a common cause of death
- heavy rain was the probable cause
- the fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant
- avoid any movement that causes you pain
caution
ˈkɔːʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
caution is behaviour that
deliberately tries to avoid any danger
or problems
Noun uncount
- advise caution
- great/extreme caution
- do something with caution
- exercise caution
- the animals should be approached with great caution
- caution is advised when driving in snow
- always exercise extreme caution when catching snakes
- a few words of caution (advice to exercise caution)
- Adjective: cautious
- Adverb: cautiously
- he’s very cautious
- a cautious driver
- she’s cautious about investing such a large sum
- the police decided to adopt a cautious approach
- she held out her hand cautiously
cell
sel
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
a cell is a room in a prison where
prisoners are kept locked in
Noun
- prisoners are locked in their cells 22 hours a day
- they were three to a cell (three prisoners lived in each cell)
- the cell measured seven feet by five feet
- each cell has a table, a chair and a bed
centrally
ˈsentrəli
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if something is controlled or managed
centrally, all its different parts are
operated from one place
Adverb
- the air-conditioning is controlled centrally
- 50% of the country's economy is centrally planned
- a centrally administered network of libraries
- Adjective: central
- Noun: centre
- orders were handed down from the central committee
- we get no funding from central government
- the regional administrative centre
chain
tʃeɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
on a bicycle, the chain is the set of
linked metal rings which connect the
pedals to the back wheel and help make
the bicycle move
Noun
- a bike chain
- my chain came off twice on the way home
- an oily chain
challenge
ˈtʃæləndʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
a challenge is a problem that you
face, which will need a lot of effort
and determination for you to succeed
in defeating it
Noun
- overcome a challenge
- tackle a challenge
- a serious/tough/major challenge
- face a challenge
- the monster presents a serious challenge
- I had great support that helped me overcome these challenges
- once we win that battle, we can tackle the next challenge
- the company was facing a very specific challenge
- Verb: challenge
- Adjective: challenging
- none of these statements were challenged by the police
- films that challenge the viewer
- the course will be challenging, but worthwhile
- yoga can be a physically challenging activity
charity event
ˈtʃærəti ɪˌvent
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
a charity event is an occasion such
as a dinner, a party, or a sports
event which people pay to attend,
often because there are famous people
taking part. The purpose of charity
events is to raise money for a
charity
Noun
- a series of charity events including a football match and a celebrity golf tournament
- they raised over £40,000 through the two charity events
chart
tʃɑː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a chart is a drawing or diagram or a
set of figures that represents
information in a way that is meant to
be clear and easy to understand
Noun
- a bar chart
- a pie chart
- a flow chart
- an astrological chart
- the priest consulted an astrological chart to help choose the name (a chart that shows the position of the stars in the sky at a certain time)
- the most common statistical charts are bar charts (charts in which the heights of vertical bars provide the information)
- draw a pie chart for your household budget (a chart in which a circle is divided into sections to represent different quantities)
chase up
ˈtʃeɪs ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
if you chase something or someone up,
you find out if something has happened
or been done yet, and if it hasn’t you
tell someone to do it
Phrasal verb
- I’m phoning to chase up an order
- I’ll chase up the sales department
- can you chase John up about this?
- they’re chasing up all their debts
chat up
ˈtʃæt ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
to chat someone up means to talk to
them in a very friendly way because
you want to start a romantic
relationship with them. A chat-up line
is something someone says in order to
start a conversation like this
Phrasal verb
- he kept trying to chat me up
- he spent the evening chatting her up
- we got chatted up by a couple of waiters
- what’s the most successful chat-up line you’ve ever used?
cheat
tʃiːt
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to cheat means to do something that
is not allowed by the rules
Noun
- if everyone starts cheating the game will fall apart
- I’m sure Dan cheated in the exam
- cover your eyes and count to ten, and don’t cheat!
- students who cheat know it's wrong
- Noun: cheat
- Noun: cheating
- I’m not playing any more. You’re such a cheat!
- cheats never prosper (people who don’t follow the rules will never be successful)
- there was a lot of cheating involved
- online cheating has become more difficult
chest
tʃest
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your chest is the front part of your
body between your neck and your
stomach
Noun
- chest pain
- a chest infection
- a hairy chest
- taking medicine for a throat and chest infection
- he complained of a tight chest (finding it difficult to breathe easily)
- a chest X-ray
- he punched the policeman in the chest and ran off
- Adjective: chesty
- a chesty cough
- I’m feeling a bit chesty (my chest feels unwell and it's uncomfortable when I breathe)
chronic
ˈkrɒnɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
a chronic medical condition is one
that is serious and lasts a long time
without getting any better
Adjective
- a chronic disease/illness/condition
- chronic pain
- stress can be a factor in the development of chronic illness
- chronic indigestion
- chronic back pain
- a chronic kidney condition
- Adverb: chronically
- chronically sick/ill
- the needs of chronically sick children
- help for the chronically disabled
- chronically ill patients
chuck
tʃʌk
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you chuck something somewhere, you
throw it there carelessly
Verb
- chuck something off something
- chuck something out of something
- chuck something on/in/into something
- he chucked it in the bin
- think before you chuck things in the garbage
- chuck another log on the fire, will you?
- I saw him chuck something off the bridge
- don’t chuck it out of the window!
- just chuck it in the boot
chuckle
ˈtʃʌk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to chuckle means to laugh
quietly
Verb
- chuckle about/at something
- the old man chuckled
- she chuckled softly
- he was still chuckling about it
- I chuckled to myself
- he was chuckling at the thought of how annoyed they’d be with him
- Noun: chuckle
- we had a little chuckle about it afterwards
circle
ˈsɜː(r)k(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
a circle of people is a number of
them who are linked in some way
because they are friends or because
they have similar jobs
Noun
- a wide circle of friends and acquaintances
- he was well known in certain circles
- the magazine was very unpopular in government circles
- a very small circle of advisers
cite
saɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to cite something means to state that
it is an example or a cause of what
you are talking about
Verb
- cite something as something
- public speaking is often cited as the one thing most people are afraid of
- several other factors were cited as causes for social breakdown
- she cited personal reasons for leaving the company
- he cited the need to return to France as a reason for his resignation
civilised
ˈsɪvəˌlaɪzd
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
people or places that are civilised
show culture and good standards of
behaviour because they belong to an
advanced and well developed
society
Adjective
- the true sign of a civilised country is the way it treats its animals
- a highly civilised society
- it all seemed very civilised
- let’s talk about this in a civilised way
- he noted a decline in civilised behaviour
- without these rules civilised life would be impossible
- Noun: civilisation
- Antonym -- Adjective: uncivilised
- modern civilisation is built upon cooperation
- Europe was home to some of the world's most advanced civilisations
- the new law was described as backward and uncivilised
- rather uncivilised behaviour
claim
kleɪm
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
a claim is a statement that someone
makes which they say is true, but
which some people believe is not true.
A claim is also a demand for something
that someone thinks they have a right
to
Noun
- her claim is entirely false
- the judge dismissed his claim
- officials have promised to investigate the claims
- the court upheld her claim and awarded her compensation
- Verb: claim
- Noun: claimant
- Grant unsuccessfully claimed damages from MacDonald
- he also claimed that his laptop had been stolen
- the claimant can request a private hearing
- both claimants are entitled to compensation
claim
kleɪm
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you claim something such as money
, you try and get it because you
believe you have a right to it. If you
claim back some money, you ask for the
money to be returned to you because it
was taken from you illegally or by
someone who did not provide the goods
or services they promised
Verb
- claim something back
- claim on something
- I was able to claim it all back on the insurance
- if you do not receive the goods in 30 days you can claim your money back
- I paid for the meal, but I’ll claim it back from work
- she claimed compensation of $10,000
- Noun: claim
- Noun: claimant
- you need to make a claim within 10 days
- the government still ended up paying claimants a total of $90 million
clash
klæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
when people clash, they fight or
argue very strongly with each
other
Verb
- clash with someone
- protestors clashed with government forces in the city centre
- violence occurred when police and demonstrators clashed
- on Thursday afternoon the two groups clashed again
- Noun: clash
- a violent clash
- the police fired 50 plastic bullets during the clashes
- violent clashes between rioters and the police
- in other clashes yesterday 27 people were injured
cling
klɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to cling to something means to hold
onto it tightly
Verb
- he was clinging onto the enormous rope
- I clung to the edge of my seat
- he clung on to my hand
- I clung tightly to the papers
- we clung together
clip
klɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a clip is a small piece of metal or
plastic that holds something in
position
Noun
- have you got a clip to keep these papers together?
- a paper clip
- a bulldog clip (a large clip for holding a lot of papers together)
- she bought a new hair clip
- Verb: clip
- clip the papers together
- the opened envelopes were clipped to the accompanying letters
close
kləʊs
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if a game or match is close, the two
players or teams are very equal
Adjective
- it was a close game, which we drew 2-2
- a close match that could have gone either way
- he came a close second
- I think the election will be pretty close
- after a close first half, Wales scored 20 points to win comfortably
co-ordinated
kəʊˈɔː(r)dɪneɪtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
something that is co-ordinated is
organised in such a way that all the
different people or parts should work
well together
Adjective
- well/badly co-ordinated
- a well-co-ordinated research programme
- their activities are not centrally co-ordinated
- the rescue operation was slow and badly co-ordinated
- Verb: co-ordinate
- Noun: co-ordination
- we need to co-ordinate our efforts if we’re to finish by June
- the chairman’s role is to co-ordinate the activities of the committee members
- regional co-ordination of our economic policies
- a lack of co-ordination between head office and the branches
coffin
ˈkɒfɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a coffin is a box that is used for
the body of a dead person, in which
they are either buried or cremated
Noun
- his body was displayed in the coffin
- her four sons carried the coffin into the church
- his remains lay in a wooden coffin
- the coffin was lowered into the grave
- archaeologists uncovered a stone coffin from 2,000 years ago
combination
ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
a combination of things is a number
of different things all mixed
together
Noun
- there’s a combination of reasons for the decision
- the doctor recommended a combination of drugs for her condition
- a rare combination of elegance, comfort, and beauty
- Verb: combine
- different methods may be combined together to get the best results
- a busy city which successfully combines the ancient and the modern
combine
kəmˈbaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if you combine two activities, you
take the opportunity to do them both
at the same time
Verb
- we combined the conference trip with a weekend in Florence
- combine business with pleasure
- she combined the roles of soloist and conductor in a performance of the violin concerto
- Adjective: combined
- a combined business trip and weekend break
come across
kʌm əˈkrɒs
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if you come across something or
someone, you see them or meet them
without having intended to
Phrasal verb
- she came across a story about a farmer
- I came across the film “Ratatouille”
- she came across him while researching her family history
- I started looking online and came across your site
- I came across this recipe a few years ago
- I’d never come across anyone else with the same family name as me before
come across
ˈkʌm əkrɒs
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you come across something or
someone, you see them or meet them
without having intended to
Phrasal verb
- I came across the film “Ratatouille”
- she came across him while researching her family history
- I started looking online and came across your site
- I came across this recipe a few years ago
- I’d never come across anyone else with the same family name as me before
come across
kʌm əˈkrɒs
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if someone comes across in a
particular way, that is the impression
you have of them
Phrasal verb
- come across as something
- she comes across as so pleasant
- Dan came across very poorly in the interview (he made a bad impression)
- he came across as a man of warmth and charm
- the second candidate came across much better
come across
kʌm əˈkrɒs
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if someone comes across in a
particular way, that is the impression
you have of them
Phrasal verb
- come across as something
- he comes across as being very reasonable
- she comes across as so pleasant
- Dan came across very poorly in the interview (he made a bad impression)
- he came across as a man of warmth and charm
- the second candidate came across much better
come off
ˈkʌm ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you say that a car came off the
motorway, you mean that it moved onto
the special road for traffic that
wants to leave the motorway. You say
that a car came off the road if the
driver lost control and the car went
onto the pavement or side of the road
Phrasal verb
- you need to come off the motorway at junction 10
- two people were killed when their car came off the road near Dorchester
- the roads were so icy we were lucky we didn’t come off the road
come off
ˈkʌm ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if something comes off, it becomes
separated from the object it is meant
to be attached to
Phrasal verb
- the strap has come off my watch
- the door handle came off as soon as I tried to turn it
- the paint was coming off the walls
- the label had come off the bottle
come off
ˈkʌm ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
when you come off a motorway, you
move onto the special road for traffic
that wants to leave the motorway. You
say that a car came off the road if
the driver lost control and the car
went onto the pavement or side of the
road
Verb
- we had to come off the motorway and wait for the fog to lift
- you need to come off the motorway at junction 10
- two people were killed when their car came off the road near Dorchester
- the roads were so icy we were lucky we didn’t come off the road
come to light
ˌkʌm tə ˈlaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if something comes to light, it
becomes known about after being secret
or unknown for a long time
Phrase
- the scam only came to light by chance
- other little facts came to light one by one
- the missing reports came to light last Thursday
- I will keep you updated as further information comes to light
come up
ˌkʌm ˈʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
to come up to someone means to come
towards them
Phrasal verb
- he came up to me and grabbed my bag
- a girl came up and started talking to me
- a man came up to me and asked me for money
come up with
kʌm ˈʌp wɪð
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if you come up with an idea, answer,
or solution, you think of it
Phrasal verb
- they came up with a mobile phone solution
- everyone was coming up with great ideas
- I came up with the same result
- three sisters came up with three different answers
- he came up with an alternative plan
commander
kəˈmɑːndə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a commander is an officer in charge
of a group of soldiers or of a
military operation
Noun
- James Bond was a navy commander
- a tank commander in the British army
- an air force commander
- the commander ordered his men to fire
- the Dutch commander refused to surrender
- the president held a meeting with top military commanders
- Verb: command
- each regiment was commanded by a colonel
- the three generals commanded a force of nearly 110,000 men
commercial
kəˈmɜː(r)ʃ(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
commerce is business. If something is
commercial it is related to business
or making money. When you say music or
a film is commercial, you're
suggesting that it isn't very good
because it was only made in order to
make money and quality was not a major
consideration
Adjective
- a commercial TV channel (run as a business, not paid for by a government)
- the film had good reviews but wasn't a commercial success (people thought it was good, but it didn’t make money)
- a commercial product
- the property is not for commercial use
- Adverb: commercially
- the film was a flop commercially
- the restaurant isn't commercially viable (able to make a profit)
commission
kəˈmɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
commission is an extra amount of
money that you pay to an organisation
when you use a service that it
provides
Noun
- charge commission
- take commission
- pay commission
- on commission
- they charge a small commission to change money
- there’s 2% commission on all transactions
- they charge 5% commission
- had to pay £25 in commission
- a fixed commission
- he sells garden sheds on commission (he is paid according to how many sheds he sells, not a regular salary)
commute
kəˈmjuːt
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
to commute means to travel regularly
to and from the place where you work
every day
Verb
- commute to/from somewhere
- commute between places
- they were commuting between London and Cambridge
- I live in Cambridge and commute to London
- aren’t you fed up with commuting every day
- it’s too far to commute from here to Cardiff
- Noun: commute
- Noun: commuter
- a daily/morning/evening commute
- the daily commute to work
- how long is your commute?
- angry commuters waited over an hour for the train to leave
- the commuter service carries over two million passengers a month
- the London commuter area
compensation
ˌkɒmpənˈseɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
compensation is money or goods that
you are given because a person or
organisation has done something bad to
you
Noun uncount
- compensation for something
- in compensation
- as compensation
- demand/claim compensation
- award someone compensation
- they offered a gift as compensation
- she is demanding compensation for the damage to her property
- he was later awarded £10,000 in compensation
- we were given just £20 as compensation
- Verb: compensate
- compensate someone for something
- he was compensated for the loss of his left hand in the accident
- he was ordered to compensate the victims of his actions
compete
kəmˈpiːt
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
to compete in a sport or competition
means to take part in it and try to
win
Verb
- compete in something
- compete for something
- I started competing more seriously after I joined the fencing club
- all four schools compete in the local championship
- the chess team has competed at national level
- competing for prize money of £50,000
- six teams will compete this weekend’s event
- in 2014, over 6,500 runners competed
- Noun: competition
- Noun: competitor
- Adjective: competing
- Adjective: competitive
- the competition was open to teams from all over the country
- he won the competition four years running
- four competitors failed to finish the race
- the event attracted 98 competitors last year
- the eight competing teams are divided into two groups
- he’s always so competitive on the tennis court
complete
kəmˈpliːt
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if you complete something, you finish
doing all of it
Verb
- she completed the puzzle quickly
- registration can be completed online
- he left before the project was completed
- I was asked to complete a three-page questionnaire
- Harry has recently completed his A level course
- Adjective: complete
- Noun: completion
- Antonym – Adjective: incomplete
- most of my coursework is complete for this term
- this is our complete price list
- the projected completion date is late 2017
- time allowed for completion of the exam is 2 hours
- the ring road project was left incomplete
- the lists are obviously incomplete
compromise
ˈkɒmprəmaɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
compromise is the ability to accept a
situation that is not perfect for you
but which enables you to exist happily
with other people. A compromise is a
situation which you accept in which
you do not have everything you
want
Noun
- make/reach/work out a compromise
- the key to a successful marriage is friendship and compromise
- we entered into the relationship in a spirit of compromise
- the president showed no hint of compromise
- I had to make some compromises
- it seemed a sensible compromise
- maybe we can work out a compromise
- we finally reached a compromise
- Verb: compromise
- compromise on something
- there may be some middle ground where you can compromise
- she refused to compromise
- can we compromise on the price?
conceal
kənˈsiːl
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to conceal something means to hide it
so that no one can see it
Verb
- he decided to conceal himself inside the bundle
- attempts to conceal the evidence
- the drugs were concealed in a lorry carrying cosmetics
- she knew he was concealing something, but did not know what
- Noun: concealment
- Adjective: concealed
- his place of concealment under the bed
- she hid the fake passport in a concealed pocket
- carrying concealed weapons
concern
kənˈsɜː(r)n
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if something concerns you, it worries
you
Verb
- what concerns me is the fact that she’s stopped eating
- it’s the highways budget that concerns me
- only the lack of money seriously concerned her
- Noun: concern
- Adjective: concerned
- Adjective: concerning
- a cause for concern
- express concern
- give rise to concern
- concerned about something/someone
- concerned for something/someone
- she expressed concern about the rising crime rate
- his injury was a major cause of concern for the team
- the test results gave rise to concern over the baby’s health
- we’re very concerned about the rising costs
- she was concerned for his safety
- a very concerning issue
conduct
kənˈdʌkt
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
to conduct a process or activity
means to do everything that is
involved in that process or
activity
Verb
- the police are now conducting investigations
- who will conduct the enquiry?
- to conduct a survey of attitudes to climate change
- these experiments were conducted over several years
- the interviews were conducted between 1971 and 1974
confess
kənˈfes
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you confess to something wrong or
illegal, you admit that you did
it
Verb
- confess to (doing) something
- confess that
- Walters confessed to the murder of his brother
- she confessed to having taken the money
- he confessed he’d been out late
- Julia tearfully confessed that she'd been seeing Mike after work
- I accused him straight out, and he confessed
- Noun: confession
- torture was used to extract confessions (make someone confess)
- his confession came after a month of denial
- he signed his confession and handed it back to the policeman
confirmation
ˌkɒnfə(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
a confirmation is a letter or email
which states officially that something
you reserved by phone will be kept for
you
Noun
- did you receive a confirmation by email or text?
- a confirmation of the booking
- a confirmation letter
- the reservation confirmation must be presented when collecting the tickets
- Verb: confirm
- Adjective: confirmed
- we will confirm the reservation in writing
- I have a confirmed booking for 7:30 this evening
conflict
ˈkɒnflɪkt
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
conflict is violent fighting between
groups of people or countries
Noun
- armed conflict
- provoke a conflict
- in any armed conflict there will be civilian casualties
- conflicts erupted in the 1850s, resulting in a number of wars
- tensions increased and came close to provoking an international conflict
- the territorial dispute could spark a violent conflict (could start a conflict)
confront
kənˈfrʌnt
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you confront a difficult
situation, you make a strong effort to
deal with it successfully. If you
confront someone who is opposed to
you, you deliberately approach them
and show you are prepared to fight or
argue with them
Verb
- the hero confronts the monster for the first time
- never confront a burglar alone if possible
- riot police were confronted by angry protestors
- we need to confront the problem more directly
- next morning, she angrily confronted her boss about the decision
- Noun: confrontation
- Adjective: confrontational
- a confrontation with someone
- a confrontation betwee people
- a confrontation between a motorist and a cyclist
- violent confrontations with the police were common
- you need to be less confrontational when dealing with strangers
- the government had a confrontational relationship with the unions
confrontation
ˌkɒnfrʌnˈteɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
a confrontation is a situation when
you have a serious disagreement with
someone and argue about it with
them
Noun
- the boy refused. The teacher insisted. A confrontation developed
- I kept silent and avoided direct confrontation
- Batty had a serious confrontation with Byrne in the staff room
- Verb: confront
- Adjective: confrontational
- when Mary confronted Alan, he admitted taking the photos
- some of the people who confronted him later apologised
- a less confrontational relationship
- he always adopted a confrontational style
consciousness
ˈkɒnʃəsnəs
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you lose consciousness, you
uncontrollably fall asleep or become
unconscious, for example if you faint
or if you are hit very hard. When you
regain consciousness, you wake up
again
Noun uncount
- lose consciousness
- regain consciousness
- she lost consciousness for a minute
- he died three days later without regaining consciousness
- when consciousness returned I was lying flat on my back in hospital
- Adjective: conscious
- Adjective: unconscious
- he was fully conscious throughout the operation
- he staggered backwards clutching the wound, but remained conscious
- Lewis had been knocked unconscious before he drowned
- he was severely beaten until he fell unconscious
contagious
kənˈteɪdʒəs
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if an illness is contagious, it can
spread from person to person through
physical contact. You can also say
that a feeling or attitude is
contagious if you think it is
spreading through a group of
people
Adjective
- a contagious disease/illness
- highly/very contagious
- it’s a relatively new disease and highly contagious
- the prevention and treatment of contagious diseases
- he was found to be contagious and had to stay in his room for several days (other people could catch the illness from him)
- fear is contagious
- his good humour was contagious
- Noun: contagion
- everything was burned for fear of contagion
- aid agencies reacted swiftly to the threat of contagion
contaminated
kənˈtæmɪˌneɪtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
something that is contaminated is no
longer clean or pure because something
has been added to it that is dirty or
harmful
Adjective
- the company has apologised for selling contaminated meat
- drinking contaminated water can cause infection
- a heavily contaminated field
- you should obviously avoid contaminated food and water
- the hole had been filled in with contaminated waste
- Verb: contaminate
- Noun: contamination
- Antonym: uncontaminated
- the water was contaminated with radioactive waste
- they believed the factory had been contaminating the river
- a report on ground contamination levels
- no contamination was detected during the tests
- the cause of the contamination remained under investigation
- the need for access to uncontaminated drinking water
contemporary
kənˈtemp(ə)r(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
contemporary means modern
Adjective
- both classic and contemporary plays
- keeping up with contemporary developments
- he gives lectures on contemporary music
- the latest bestsellers in contemporary fiction
- contemporary furniture design
contest
kənˈtest
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
to contest something means to say
officially that you do not agree with
it or think it is wrong
Verb
- contest a will
- the will is being contested
- they plan to contest the decision
- he contested the validity of the wedding ceremony
control
kənˈtrəʊl
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if you control something or control
how much someone can do something, you
check and limit the amount or level of
it
Verb
- my parents control how much time I spend on Minecraft
- he’s trying to control his diet
- you should control how much you eat
- it’s not possible for government to control the Internet
- Noun: control
- keep control of something
- something is under control
- the control of inflation
- you need to keep control of your spending
control group
kənˈtrəʊl ˌɡruːp
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
a control group is a set of people in
an experiment who do not receive the
medicine that is being tested, so that
researchers can compare what happens
to them with what happens to the
people who do try the new
medicine
Noun
- the control group was constantly monitored throughout the three weeks
- 80% had no further symptoms compared to 30% in the control group
- the control group were given just flavoured water
controversial
ˌkɒntrəˈvɜː(r)ʃ(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if something or someone is
controversial, different people hold
different views about them very
strongly and cannot reach
agreement
Adjective
- highly/deeply controversial
- a controversial subject/issue/topic
- a controversial decision
- a controversial remark/comment
- the government has done a few controversial things
- a highly controversial issue
- a controversial politician
- the referee made a number of controversial decisions
- his controversial remarks were widely reported on radio and TV
- Adverb: controversially
- Noun: controversy
- cause/provoke/arouse (a) controversy
- the government controversially decided to withdraw its support for the project
- controversially, there were no women in the new cabinet
- the proposals have caused a lot of controversy
- some recent controversies in the media
- the proposal aroused a fierce controversy
conventional
kənˈvenʃ(ə)nəl
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if something is conventional, it is
done in the usual way and is not at
all new or different
Adjective
- a conventional portrait
- a conventional novel
- his ideas are all quite conventional
- a conventional education
- a highly conventional upbringing
- the design was rather conventional
- Adverb: conventionally
- Antonym – Adjective: unconventional
- she was brought up quite conventionally in Surrey
- a conventionally trained artist
- an unconventional approach to art
- a rather unconventional teacher
conventional
kənˈvenʃ(ə)nəl
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
things or ideas that are conventional
are usual and normal, and not new or
original
Adjective
- conventional medicine
- conventional method/means
- conventional thinking
- an illness that resisted conventional medical treatment
- a challenge to conventional thinking
- they can provide food cheaper than conventional supermarkets
- they shook hands in the conventional way
- Adjective: conventionally
- she always dressed very conventionally
- two fields were managed conventionally and two were managed organically
- a conventionally designed house with the bedrooms on the first floor
convict
kənˈvɪkt
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
if someone is convicted of a crime,
it is officially decided in a court
that they are guilty of committing the
crime
Verb
- be convicted of something
- be convicted to something
- he was convicted of murder
- he was convicted to a long jail sentence
- seven of the men were convicted and the other two were released
- Dreyfus was wrongly convicted and sent to jail
- they were convicted and sentenced to death
- Noun: conviction
- Adjective: convicted
- Noun: convict
- his conviction was overturned (another court decided he should not have been convicted)
- he’d had three previous convictions for burglary
- there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction
- a convicted criminal
- two convicts escaped during the night
convict
kənˈvɪkt
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if someone is convicted of a crime, a
court decides that they really did it,
and the judge tells them what their
punishment will be
Verb
- convict someone of something
- convict someone for something
- he was convicted of corruption
- there wasn’t enough evidence for the jury to convict him
- if convicted, she faces up to ten years in jail
- wrongly convicted of murder
- all the men had previously been convicted for violent crime
- Noun: conviction
- a criminal conviction
- a previous conviction
- secure a conviction
- have (got) a conviction
- he’s got three previous convictions for burglary
- not enough evidence to secure a conviction (be sure of getting a conviction)
coordination
kəʊˌɔː(r)dɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
your coordination is how well you can
move the different parts of your body
together
Noun uncount
- you need good hand-eye coordination to play tennis well
- exercises designed to develop flexibility and improve coordination
- Adjective: coordinated
- Antonym – Adjective: uncoordinated
- how coordinated are you?
- I’m totally uncoordinated
cope
kəʊp
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you cope, you manage to do what
you have to do. If you can’t cope, you
find it too difficult to do everything
that you need to do
Verb
- cope with something
- I couldn’t cope with the workload
- How do you cope with having two jobs?
cope
kəʊp
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if you cope with something
disappointing or unpleasant, you are
able to carry on without it having a
bad effect on you
Verb
- cope with something
- sport teaches us to cope with disappointment
- she was good at coping with stress
- I have trouble coping with the heat
copy in
ˈkɒpi ˌɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
to copy someone in on an email means
to send it to them as well as to the
person it is written to
Phrasal verb
- copy someone in on/to something
- when you reply to the client, copy me in, please
- my manager wants to be copied in on all the team emails
- I would be grateful if you would copy me in to any communication you have with them
correlation
ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
if there is a correlation between two
things, they are linked, often because
one of them causes the other
Noun
- a correlation between things
- a strong/close/significant correlation
- a well-established correlation between poor reading skills and crime
- a strong correlation exists between smoking and lung disease
- there isn't always a direct correlation between price and quality
- investigators found no significant correlation
- Verb: correlate
- correlate with something
- lack of water directly correlates with poverty
- poor diet is strongly correlated with heart disease
corrupt
kəˈrʌpt
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if someone is corrupt, they are
prepared to do things that are morally
wrong in order to get money or power.
Their behaviour can also be referred
to as corrupt
Adjective
- morally corrupt
- he seems to think that all politicians are corrupt
- Dickens portrays the rich as being morally corrupt
- officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices
- a man of splendid abilities, but utterly corrupt
- he was eventually sent to prison for his corrupt dealings
- Verb: corrupt
- Noun: corruption
- Adjective: corruptible
- Antonym – Adjective: incorruptible
- there’s a famous saying: “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
- he was corrupted by the criminals he was mixing with
- there has been widespread corruption in the banking sector
- he was convicted on 41 counts of bribery, corruption and conspiracy
- he was determined to expose police corruption
- everyone is corruptible at a price
- as a judge, he had to be incorruptible
costume
ˈkɒstjuːm
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
a costume is a special set of clothes
that people wear for a particular
occasion or event, such as a parade or
street festival
Noun
- we all dressed up in a costume for the parade
- a national costume
- she was wearing a very elaborate costume
counsellor
ˈkaʊns(ə)lə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
a counsellor is someone whose job is
to listen to people who have problems
and to help them find a way to solve
those problems
Noun
- a marriage counsellor
- a debt counsellor
- they went to a marriage counsellor, but it was too late
- a visit from the bereavement counsellor (someone who helps people after the death of a very close relative)
- a counsellor for people with AIDS
- Noun: counselling
- individual counselling sessions
- I went to my tutor for support and counselling
- money has been provided for student counselling services
countless
ˈkaʊntləs
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you talk about countless things or
people, you mean there are a large
number of them
Adjective
- countless occasions/hours
- countless number of times
- countless millions
- I saw the film countless times
- a video seen by countless millions on YouTube
- Verb: count
- can you count up to ten in French?
courage
ˈkʌrɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
courage is the quality of not being
afraid even in difficult or dangerous
situations
Noun uncount
- show courage
- summon/find/have the courage (to do something)
- require/take courage
- great/considerable courage
- he fought the illness with great courage
- we didn’t have the courage to go ahead with the plan
- it took courage to jump from the second floor
- she showed a tremendous amount of courage throughout the war
- Adjective: courageous
- Adverb: courageously
- it was a courageous decision, but it cost him his life
- Walters praised his courageous team
- a highly courageous act
- the crew acted courageously in helping all the passengers off the ship
crack
kræk
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a crack is a line you can see on
something made of china or glass that
shows it is damaged
Noun
- there was a crack in one of the roof tiles and it started leaking
- an old mug with a crack in it
- some very fine cracks in the wall
- a hairline crack (very thin)
- Verb: crack
- Adjective: cracked
- the dish cracked when I put it in the oven
- she held up a cracked vase
- the jug was badly cracked
craft fair
krɑːft feə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
a craft fair is an event where people
sell things that they have made by
hand, such as jewellery, pots, clothes
etc.
Noun
- on the first Saturday of the month, the village hall hosts a craft fair
- I sell most of what I make at craft fairs
- we visited several craft fairs in the Harrogate area
crammed
kræmd
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
if something is crammed with things
or people, it is very full of them and
they are pressed closely
together
Adjective
- be crammed full
- the bag was crammed with precious things
- the place was crammed with tourists
- bags crammed full of food
- the drawers were crammed full
- Verb: cram
- I crammed all the clothes into my suitcase
- don't try to cram too much into the cupboard
credit
ˈkredɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
credit is an agreement with a bank or
other organisation that lets you spend
money that you do not have, and that
allows you to pay it back later
Noun
- extend credit to someone
- give someone credit
- offer someone credit
- refuse someone credit
- the bank wouldn’t extend them any credit
- we were offered unlimited credit till the end of the year
- interest-free credit
- it’s very embarrassing being refused credit
cremate
krɪˈmeɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
if someone is cremated, their body is
burned after they have died as part of
the funeral ceremony
Verb
- do you want to be buried or cremated?
- he had left instructions for his body to be cremated
- you can't cremate a body without a doctor's certificate
- Noun: cremation
- there will be a short service before the cremation
crop
krɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
a crop is a plant such as wheat or
corn that is grown by farmers in order
to sell
Noun
- a cash crop
- a staple crop
- grow/cultivate a crop
- traders came directly to the farms to buy the crops
- better farming techniques will increase crop yields
- they grow a variety of crops
- a staple crop (that provides most of someone’s food)
- a cash crop (that someone grows to sell)
- they grew crops in large open fields
- rice is the principal crop cultivated here
crop
krɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
a crop is a plant such as wheat or
corn that is grown by farmers in order
to sell
Noun
- a cash crop
- a staple crop
- grow/cultivate a crop
- traders came directly to the farms to buy the crops
- better farming techniques will increase crop yields
- they grow a variety of crops
- a staple crop (that provides most of someone’s food)
- a cash crop (that someone grows to sell)
- they grew crops in large open fields
- rice is the principal crop cultivated here
cruel
ˈkruːəl
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
an activity that is cruel causes
unnecessary suffering to people or
animals. If people are cruel, they
deliberately cause suffering to other
people or animals
Adjective
- many people think bullfighting is cruel
- it was a very cruel murder
- children can be extremely cruel to each other
- he was frequently unpleasant but he was never cruel
- how selfish and cruel she had been
- Noun: cruelty
- Adverb: cruelly
- the public does not tolerate animal cruelty (cruel treatment of animals)
- his cruelty toward his employees eventually landed him in prison
- he was treated cruelly by the other students there
- he was cruelly punished for such a minor offence
crush
krʌʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
to crush something means to press it
with a lot of force so that it becomes
flat or breaks into small pieces
Verb
- crush the almonds and sprinkle on top of the cake
- add some crushed garlic
- the grapes were crushed and the juice poured off
- his leg was crushed
- he was crushed to death
- your car will be taken away and crushed
crutch
krʌtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
a crutch is one of a pair of long
sticks that fits under your arm and
which you use to help you walk when
you have hurt your leg
Noun
- be on crutches
- I was on crutches for months (could walk only with the help of crutches)
- he’s still walking with crutches
- I don’t need to use crutches now
curiosity
ˌkjʊəriˈɒsəti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
curiosity is the quality of wanting
to know about something
Noun uncount
- curiosity about something
- satisfy your curiosity
- idle curiosity
- natural curiosity
- out of curiosity
- his natural curiosity about the world
- just out of curiosity, how much did it cost you?
- the article did little to satisfy his curiosity about the event
- her curiosity led her to visit the local museum
- it’s not just idle curiosity – I actually need to know
- curiosity killed the cat (used to tell someone you want them to stop asking questions about something)
- Adjective: curious
- Adverb: curiously
- very curious
- slightly curious
- naturally curious
- be curious to know/hear/learn about something
- a naturally curious boy with an appetite for reading
- the museum has a lot to offer the curious visitor
- I’m very curious to know what’s inside the suitcase
- she wasn’t in the least curious about where he had been
- she looked curiously into the cupboards and wardrobes
curse
kɜː(r)s
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
to curse someone or something means
to say words that are deliberately
intended to cause something bad to
happen to them by magic
Verb
- she thought I was cursing her
- all his relatives were cursed forever
- it was possible to curse an enemy through a spoken word
- it is highly unlikely you have been cursed
- Noun: curse
- put/place a curse on someone or something
- lift a curse
- an old woman placed a curse on Serena and her family
- a terrible curse fell upon her son
- the witch finally agreed to lift the curse (to say words that would stop the curse being in place)
cut back
kʌt bæk
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
to cut back on something means to
reduce it or to reduce the amount of
it that you use
Phrasal verb
- cut back on something
- they’ve done a lot to cut back the bureaucracy
- the bank is cutting back on staff
- I’ve managed to cut back my coffee consumption
- community services have been cut back and hospitals have closed
- Noun: cutback
- make cutbacks
- severe cutbacks
- a cutback in funding for schools
- the company may have to make cutbacks
- there have been severe cutbacks in the housing budget
cut up
ˈkʌt ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you cut someone up when you are
driving, you suddenly and dangerously
move across so that you are just in
front of them. If you get cut up,
someone suddenly drives across in
front of you in a dangerous way
Phrasal verb
- we got badly cut up coming off the roundabout
- Den cut up a lorry and just avoided skidding off the road
cycle
ˈsaɪk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a cycle is a complete set of
activities that are repeated regularly
in the same order
Noun
- the human life cycle (being born, being alive, dying)
- not everyone finishes the complete cycle
- at this point the cycle repeats itself
- each lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days
- when the plant is mature, it produces seeds and the cycle continues
- annual flowers complete their life cycle in one growing season
damages
ˈdæmɪdʒɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if you win damages, a court orders a
person or organisation to give you
money because they have made you
suffer in some way
Noun plural
- award someone damages
- win damages
- claim damages
- he won damages of £30,000
- the court awarded her substantial damages
- she’s claiming damages for the injuries she suffered
- he got half a million dollars in damages
- she is seeking $5 million in damages
dare
deə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
a dare is something difficult or
dangerous that you do because someone
has challenged you to do it
Noun
- do something for a dare
- I tried eating them for a dare
- he challenged me to a dare
- Verb: dare
- dare someone to do something
- go on, I dare you! (I challenge you)
- I dare you to call him now
- I daren’t ask him (I don’t have the courage)
dash
dæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you dash somewhere, you go there
in a hurry because you do not want to
be late and you do not have much time
to get there
Verb
- I must dash. I have a lesson in ten minutes
- I dashed down to the shops
- I’ll just dash home quickly
- he dashed upstairs to get his watch
- Noun: dash
- make a dash (for somewhere)
- we could make a dash for the car
- the cat made a dash past us and disappeared upstairs
data analysis
ˈdeɪtə əˌnæləsɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
data analysis is the examination of
large amounts of information in order
to discover specific and detailed
facts about something
Noun uncount
- computers play a very important role in statistical data analysis
- the idea behind data analysis is to look for patterns
- further data analysis may reduce this uncertainty
dead
ded
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
someone who is dead is no longer
alive. You can also say that someone
who is extremely tired feels dead,
because they feel as if there is no
life or energy in them
Adjective
- I collapsed on the sofa feeling dead
- she slept for 12 hours, dead to the world (fast asleep and not disturbed by anything going on around her)
- Adverb: dead
- dead tired/beat
- although she was dead tired, she couldn’t sleep
declare
dɪˈkleə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if you declare something, you say
formally what you think, and what you
will or will not do in a particular
situation
Verb
- declare that
- he declared that he wasn’t interested
- Nicky had declared his intention of joining the army
- he publicly declared his opposition to the proposal
- until today she had never openly declared herself (told people exactly what she thought)
- Noun: declaration
- her declaration of love towards him
- his declaration of intent
dedicated
ˈdedɪˌkeɪtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if something is dedicated to a
particular subject or activity, it
deals only with that subject or
activity and not with anything
else
Adjective
- the museum opened a new wing dedicated exclusively to Asian art
- a dedicated collector of 20th century Russian maps
- we are dedicated professionals who understand the business of selling houses
- Verb: dedicate
- she dedicated her life to the fight against poverty
- his last years were dedicated to religious activities
dedicated
ˈdedɪˌkeɪtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
see above
Adjective
deed
diːd
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
a deed is an action or something that
someone does. People usually use the
word deed when they are making a
judgement about whether something was
a good or bad action
Noun
- a good/bad deed
- bad deeds will bring their own punishment
- the bombing was condemned as an evil deed
- one bad deed was enough for him to go to prison
- a reward for all your good deeds
deep
diːp
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
you use deep to emphasise how serious
and important a problem or situation
is
Adjective
- this shows there is a deeper problem in the company
- these are the deep problems that we must address in the years ahead
- the letter made a deep impression on Edward
- the poem was deep with truth and feeling
- Noun: depth
- the film had a surprising depth of emotion
defeat
dɪˈfiːt
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to defeat someone means to beat them
in a fight, argument, election, or
sport
Verb
- decisively/heavily/easily defeat someone
- defeat an enemy/opponent
- religious stories, like David defeating the giant Goliath
- he crushed the revolt and defeated his opponents
- the right-wing candidates were soundly defeated
- the invasion was bitterly resisted and decisively defeated
- Spurs narrowly defeated Arsenal 1-0
- the Japanese decisively defeated Russia in 1905
- Noun: defeat
- suffer a defeat
- admit defeat
- a strong UEA team inflicted the first defeat of the season against NCC
- the US Army suffered a huge defeat
- she hated to admit defeat
defensive
dɪˈfensɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if someone is defensive, they are
angry because they think that someone
is criticising them
Adjective
- be defensive about something
- don’t be so defensive
- telling them they’re wrong will just make them defensive
- he got a bit defensive
- she was really defensive about it
- Adverb: defensively
- Noun: defensive
- be on the defensive
- "it's my room too", Sally said defensively. "I can come in if I like"
- I heard her say, slightly on the defensive, "It's an investment"
degree
dɪˈɡriː
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
a degree of something is a certain
amount of it
Noun
- a degree of something
- they display a healthy degree of impatience
- these investments carry varying degrees of risk
- a remarkable degree of progress has already been achieved
- a high degree of craftsmanship
delegate
ˈdɛləˌɡeɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you delegate a job, task, or
responsibility to someone, you tell
them that they have to do the job or
task or take the responsibility
instead of you
Verb
- delegate a job/task
- delegate responsibility/powers
- delegate something to someone
- He’s always reluctant to delegate responsibility
- the job was delegated to me
- Noun: delegation
- delegation of authority
- delegation of something to someone
- effective delegation is the mark of a good manager
- the delegation of tax-raising powers to the Scottish parliament
demanding
dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
a person or situation that is
demanding is difficult to deal with
because they need a lot of your time
or energy
Adjective
- the aerobics class was just too demanding for me
- it is a physically demanding journey
- she has an extremely demanding job
- he always took on the least demanding tasks at work
- quality products that will satsify even the most demanding customers
- Verb: demand
- the lecture demanded her full attention
- the task demands 100% concentration
democratic
ˌdeməˈkrætɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
a democratic political system
involves people voting so that their
representatives are chosen by a
majority of people. If an activity is
democratic, it is organised in a way
that has the agreement or approval of
the majority of people who are
involved
Adjective
- art is most definitely not democratic
- a democratic country where free speech is guaranteed
- school life was far from democratic
- our nation was founded to perpetuate democratic principles
- English has always been a thoroughly democratic language
- Adjective: undemocratic
- Adverb: democratically
- Noun: democracy
- it is undemocratic to rule over people without seeking their votes
- the government condemned the strike as undemocratic
- a democratically elected government
- a democratically managed organisation
- they argued that socialism without democracy is impossible
- the dictatorship was overthrown and democracy restored
dent
dent
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
a dent is a place on a surface which
is no longer flat because something
has hit against it and damaged
it
Noun
- a little/large dent (in something)
- make a dent
- there was a noticeable dent in the passenger door
- the dent was the result of a collision with a delivery van
- the bullet made a dent in the ceiling
- it left a large dent in the rear bumper
- Adjective: dented
- Verb: dent
- he backed into my car, dented the boot, then drove off
- the scratched and dented surface of the table
- a dented tin saucepan
deny
dɪˈnaɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if someone denies you something, they
do not let you have it. You can also
say that you have been denied
something when you have not been
allowed to have it
Verb
- she claimed she was denied promotion
- they were denied access to the building
- they denied him his right to a lawyer
- should doctors deny treatment to patients who are obese?
- his claim for compensation has been denied twice
deposit
dɪˈpɒzɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
a deposit is a sum of money you pay
when you hire something, and which you
get back if you return what you hired
in good condition
Noun
- a refundable/returnable deposit
- it was a struggle getting them to return our deposit
- the deposit will be 15% of the rental price
- bike hire is £10 an hour, with a £50 returnable deposit payable immediately
deprived
dɪˈpraɪvd
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a place that is deprived is one where
very poor people live. You can also
say that a person is deprived
Adjective
- a deprived childhood/background
- a deprived area
- one of the most deprived areas in the country
- a deprived inner city school
- deprived children
- he wrote a play about his deprived background (about growing up very poor)
- she had a very deprived childhood
- Noun: deprivation
- the city has high levels of deprivation
- a life full of hardship and deprivation
descend
dɪˈsend
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
if someone or something descends into
a bad state, they become worse and
cannot prevent what is happening
Verb
- he gradually descends into madness
- the country is descending into civil war
- Romania almost descended into revolution
- he gave up crime but descended into alcoholism
- Noun: descent
- descent into something
- it was my first descent into genuine despair
- no one could prevent the country’s descent into anarchy (when no one obeys the law)
descend
dɪˈsend
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to descend means to go or come
down
Verb
- an enormous rope descended from the sky
- the plane began to descend
- the Queen descended the stairs
- a path which descends steeply into the valley below
- Noun: descent
- their descent of the mountain
- the plane began its descent
deserted
dɪˈzɜː(r)tɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if a place is deserted, there is no
one there at all
Adjective
- the beach was deserted so we had it to ourselves
- the room was deserted and cold
- the town looked completely deserted
- walking through the deserted streets
- a deserted village
- the path alongside the abbey was entirely deserted
desire
dɪˈzaɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
someone’s desire for something is
their strong wish to have or achieve
that thing
Noun
- a desire for something
- a desire to do something
- a strong desire
- we understand the club’s desire to boost its income
- they have a genuine desire to learn
- she had a strong desire for success
- their deepest secrets and desires
- Verb: desire
- Adjective: desirable
- Adjective: desired
- Noun: desirability
- Antonym – Adjective: undesirable
- those who sincerely desire peace
- do any of them honestly desire to know the answer?
- previous experience is desirable but not essential
- our customers say this is a highly desirable feature
- his actions achieved the desired result
- pull the ends until the bow is the desired shape
- there is disagreement about the desirability of this kind of development
- there may be undesirable effects from this drug
- the outcome was highly undesirable
despair
dɪˈspeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
despair is a feeling that you have no
hope. If you are in despair, you
believe you are in a very bad
situation and that you have no hope of
improving it
Noun uncount
- be in despair
- drive someone to despair
- a state of despair
- a feeling of total despair
- he killed himself in despair
- she was in the depths of despair
- losing the business drove him to despair
- her relief turned to despair when she saw the result of her blood test
- in a state of deep despair
- Verb: despair
- Adjective: despairing
- Adjective: desperate
- Adverb: desperately
- Noun: desperation
- despair of (doing) something
- a desperate situation
- a desperate attempt/effort
- do something in desperation
- it was a very difficult time, but we never despaired
- I never despaired of finding him again
- he let out a despairing cry
- the economy is in a desperate situation
- a desperate attempt to escape
- your parents are desperately worried about you
- in desperation, she called the hospital
desperate
ˈdesp(ə)rət
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if someone is desperate, they are in
a very difficult situation and want or
need something very badly
Adjective
- be desperate for something
- be desperate to do something
- they’re desperate for more staff
- the hungrier people are, the more desperate they are
- we were getting desperate
- he’s desperate to get a job
- they’re in desperate need of help
- a desperate effort to reach an agreement
- she grew more and more desperate as her money ran out
- Adverb: desperately
- Noun: desperation
- the people desperately need food
- people are heading for the cities in desperation
destruction
dɪˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
the destruction of something happens
when it becomes so damaged that it is
completely broken or no longer
exists
Noun uncount
- the destruction of the environment
- the storm caused widespread destruction of houses and shops
- Dresden suffered almost complete destruction in the bombing raid
- the flooding brought about death and destruction
- Verb: destroy
- Adjective: destructive
- Adverb: destructively
- the building was destroyed during the war
- in 1940 an earthquake destroyed the city of Lima
- these were destructive weapons
- oil spills can be extremely destructive to the marine environment
detract
dɪˈtrækt
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if something detracts from something
else, it makes it seem worse than it
really is
Verb
- detract from something
- this should not detract from the reality of the change that is happening
- we mustn’t let this detract from our other achievements
- attempts to cut costs without detracting from the level of service provided
- Noun: detractor
- his policies have many detractors (people who say they are not good)
- the move was welcomed even by the president’s detractors
devastate
ˈdevəˌsteɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to devastate something means to
damage it very badly. To devastate a
person means to upset them very
badly
Verb
- the country had been devastated by war
- losses which have devastated the economy
- the bombing raid devastated the town
- the housing crisis devastated the local community
- Adjective: devastated
- Adjective: devastating
- Adverb: devastatingly
- Noun: devastation
- I was absolutely devastated when he died
- the devastated village was still burning hours later
- the decision was to have devastating results
- the effect on the children was devastating
- a devastatingly destructive weapon
- sneezes are devastatingly effective at spreading germs
- the storm caused devastation for miles around
- the absolute devastation of modern war
development
dɪˈveləpmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
a development is a set of new
buildings, or changes made to existing
buildings so that they can start being
used for a different purpose
Noun
- a housing development
- a campaign against the new tourist development
- a housing development is now being planned along the canal
- the industrial development was financed by foreign investment
- today, residential developments are replacing farms
- Verb: develop
- Noun: developer
- the site will be developed for new housing
- private developers built the new housing estate
device
dɪˈvaɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a device is a machine or tool that
does a particular job
Noun
- a mobile device
- an electronic device
- a device for (doing) something
- a device that allows you to share files
- you can watch YouTube on mobile devices
- please turn off your electronic devices
- an ingenious little device
- some sophisticated devices
- a device for measuring electrical flow
- it’s fitted with a special anti-locking device
- all our vehicles have the latest hi-tech safety devices
device
dɪˈvaɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
a device is a machine or tool that
does a particular job. A device is
also a bomb
Noun
- a mobile device
- an electronic device
- a device for (doing) something
- the device went off in a shopping centre
- an explosive device
- a nuclear device
- the device had been left in a bus station
- you can watch YouTube on mobile devices
- please turn off your electronic devices
- a device for measuring electrical flow
- all our vehicles have the latest hi-tech safety devices
dictator
dɪkˈteɪtə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a dictator is a ruler who has
complete power in a country
Noun
- he accused the local council of acting like dictators
- an evil dictator
- a fascist dictator
- an attempt to overthrow the dictator
- a military dictator
- Noun: dictatorship
- he was very active against the dictatorship
- Venezuela saw ten years of military dictatorship from 1948 to 1958
diesel
ˈdiːz(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
diesel is the sort of fuel used in
diesel engines, which burn oil in very
hot air. You can refer to a car with a
diesel engine as a diesel
Noun uncount
- diesel vehicle/car/truck/engine
- diesel fumes
- diesel is more expensive than petrol in the UK
- diesel engines give you more miles to the gallon
- our last car was a diesel
- diesel prices are about to go up again
dig up
ˌdɪɡ ˈʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
to dig up vegetables means to pull
them out of the ground so that they
can be eaten
Phrasal verb
- dig up potatoes/onions/carrots
- we dug up four kilos of carrots
- it’s back-breaking work digging up potatoes all day
dignity
ˈdɪɡnəti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
dignity is behaviour that people
respect because it is polite and
controlled and does not show
unnecessary emotion
Noun uncount
- calm/quiet dignity
- great dignity
- respect someone’s dignity
- she behaved with great dignity
- everyone should be treated with respect and dignity
- Bettinson is a man of considerable dignity
- pensioners should be able to live with dignity
- Adjective: dignified
- a man of dignified manners
- they praised him for the dignified way he conducted himself
- I maintained a dignified silence
disappearance
ˌdɪsəˈpɪərəns
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
someone’s disappearance is when they
are not where they are expected to be
and no one knows where they are
Noun
- you should report the disappearance to the police
- police said her disappearance was suspicious
- the still unexplained disappearance of her husband
- police are investigating the disappearance of a French tourist
- Verb: disappear
- she just disappeared
- the boys disappeared while they were walking home from school
disappointment
ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
disappointment is the feeling of
unhappiness that you get when
something you wanted does not happen,
or when you do not get something you
were hoping to get
Noun
- sport teaches us to cope with disappointment
- book early to avoid disappointment
- the film was a terrible disappointment (it wasn’t as good as we hoped it would be)
- he expressed his disappointment at the result
- I tried to smile and hide my disappointment
- to my huge disppointment, the app kept crashing
- Adjective: disappointed
- Adjective: disappointing
- Verb: disappoint
- he felt disappointed and let down
- he was a very disappointed man
- the book had disappointing sales
- my exam results were hugely disappointing
- I didn’t want to disappoint her
- the singer disappointed her fans by arriving three hours late for the concert
discard
dɪsˈkɑː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if something is discarded, it is
carelessly thrown away rather than
being used or recycled
Verb
- a huge quantity of food is simply discarded
- be sure to discard the water you soaked the beans in
- he sorted through the box, selecting and discarding various items
- the knife and cloth were both discarded
- Adjective: discarded
- discarded electrical or electronic devices
- a discarded plastic water bottle
disguise
dɪsˈɡaɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to disguise yourself means to change
your appearance so that people will
not recognise you because you look
very different
Verb
- disguise yourself (as someone)
- she disguised herself as a police officer
- even though he had disguised himself, they caught him before he reached the border
- he was disguised as a bus driver
- Noun: disguise
- in disguise
- he wore a disguise
- she put on a different disguise
- he travelled in disguise (wearing a disguise)
- no one saw through his disguise
dismay
dɪsˈmeɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
dismay is sadness and disappointment
about something bad or unpleasant that
has happened
Noun uncount
- with/in dismay
- voice your dismay
- to someone’s dismay
- the minister voiced her dismay
- the look on her face expressed dismay
- his death caused dismay among his friends
- Ruth shook her head in dismay
- to everyone’s dismay, the singer failed to arrive
- Verb: dismay
- Adjective: dismaying
- Adverb: dismayed
- his decision to leave dismayed his family
- what is it that dismays you about the situation?
- they were dismayed by what they saw
- it was a dismaying experience
- I found it all very dismaying
- Peggy was too dismayed to speak
disobey
ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you disobey someone or disobey an
order, you do not do what you have
been told to do
Verb
- Nelson won the battle, but had disobeyed direct orders
- those who appeared to disobey were quickly arrested
- don’t you dare disobey me!
- his instructions were disobeyed by the whole class
- he would never dare to disobey his father
- Adjective: disobedient
- Noun: disobedience
- Antonyms: Verb: obey
- Adjective: obedient
- Adverb: obediently
- Noun: obedience
- civil disobedience
- complete/blind/unquestioning obedience
- as a child, he was naughty and disobedient
- a mischievous and disobedient child
- the time has come for non-violent civil disobedience (when lots of people peacefully break the law as a way of protesting against something)
- an act of disobedience
- he reluctantly obeyed his father and took a job in the family firm
- if you don’t obey, you will be punished
- their orders must be obeyed without question
- he is very obedient and never gets into trouble
- she had never been an obedient child
- Patrick rose obediently and went to the door
- Obediently, I took a few steps forward
- she demanded complete obedience from her staff
- unquestioning obedience to the regulations of the army
- I want co-operation, not blind obedience (complete obedience that does not involve any thought)
display
dɪˈspleɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
a display of something is an occasion
when someone publicly shows a
particular feeling or emotion
Noun
- an open/public display
- a display of emotion/anger/grief/affection
- a display of wealth/power/strength
- it was an unexpected display of emotion from him
- the public display of grief that followed the death of the princess
- Verb: display
- openly/publicly display something
- the English try hard not to display their emotions
- he was too ashamed to publicly display his grief
dispute
dɪˈspjuːt
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if there is a dispute about
something, people cannot agree about
it and so they argue about it
Noun
- a dispute over/about something
- a dispute between people
- a pay dispute
- a major/minor dispute
- a bitter/fierce dispute
- be in dispute with someone
- settle a dispute
- if there’s any dispute, call me and I’ll sort it out
- an industrial dispute at a factory in London
- a dispute between the two parents
- efforts to settle the dispute
- a dispute over a piece of land
- the facts are not in dispute (everyone agrees about them)
- Verb: dispute
- Adjective: disputed
- a disputed territory/border/region
- his client disputed the fee
- you have already disputed this point with me five or six times already
- the contract was disputed but the payments continued for another year
- the result of disputed elections
- disputed territory (land that two different countries claim to own)
disqualified
dɪsˈkwɒlɪfaɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you qualify for a competition, you
have the right level of ability or you
have done well enough in a preliminary
competition to be allowed to take
part. If you break the rules while you
are competing, then you are
disqualified and are not allowed to
carry on taking part
Adjective
- be disqualified for something
- be disqualified from something
- he and three others were disqualified for failing a drugs test
- if neither attend, both will be disqualified
- after a third false start, she was disqualified from the race
- Noun: disqualification
- a third warning will mean instant disqualification
- he faced disqualification for late registration
disrepair
ˌdɪsrɪˈpeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
disrepair is the state of being
damaged or broken. If something falls
into disrepair, it gradually gets into
a bad condition because no one takes
any care of it
Noun uncount
- fall into disrepair
- a state of disrepair
- the castle was in a state of serious disrepair
- the building was in such a state of disrepair that it had to be demolished
- there were obvious signs of disrepair and neglect
- the sheds have fallen into disrepair and will have to be pulled down
dissuade
dɪˈsweɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to dissuade someone means to persuade
them not to do something
Verb
- dissuade someone from (doing) something
- she couldn’t dissuade her husband
- I tried to dissuade him from leaving
- a campaign to dissuade young people from binge drinking
- it was futile trying to dissuade him
- Noun: dissuasion
- try using dissuasion rather than outright bans
- her attempts at dissuasion failed, and he left the next morning
distinct
dɪˈstɪŋkt
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
something that is distinct is clearly
different from other things of the
same sort
Adjective
- there are four distinct phases that everyone goes through
- the country has four distinct geographical regions
- the government recognises 135 distinct ethnic groups
- it is quite distinct from any other European language
- the two colonies remained distinct
- Adverb: distinctly
- this puzzle has two distinctly different solutions
- these are distinctly separate issues
distraction
dɪˈstrækʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
a distraction is something that turns
your attention away from what you were
doing or thinking about and onto
something else
Noun
- an unnecessary distraction
- a welcome distraction
- try and avoid unnecessary distractions
- the music from downstairs was a constant distraction
- lunch created a welcome distraction from the stress of the meeting
- using a mobile while driving can be a dangerous distraction
- Verb: distract
- Adjective: distracting
- Adjective: distracted
- don’t allow anything to distract you
- I don't let these thoughts distract me from my job
- she was distracted by the phone ringing
- I found the flashing lights very distracting
- his mind filled with distracting thoughts
- she seemed a little distracted during the meal
- distracted drivers can cause serious accidents
disturbing
dɪˈstɜː(r)bɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
something that is disturbing makes
you feel worried or upset
Adjective
- find something disturbing
- the news was deeply disturbing
- viewers may find some scenes disturbing
- a disturbing thought struck Melissa
- a disturbing trend towards long-term unemployment
- Verb: disturb
- Adjective: disturbed
- be disturbed by/about/at something
- nothing ever seemed to disturb him
- his father was disturbed at the lack of progress he was making at school
do
duː
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
a do is a special party or other
social occasion
Noun
- a big do
- a birthday do
- it’s her 30th birthday so she’s planning a big do
- the annual family do in Somerset
- are you going to the do at the club tonight?
- I’ve been invited to his stag do (a special party a man has with his male friends shortly before he gets married)
domestic
dəˈmestɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
domestic means relating to or
happening within people’s homes and
within the family
Adjective
- domestic violence
- 30 years of domestic happiness ended when his wife died
- domestic chores (jobs like cleaning the house and doing the washing)
- domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence
dominant
ˈdɒmɪnənt
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if a person or thing is dominant,
they have more power or influence than
others around them
Adjective
- the dominant partner in the relationship
- a dominant personality
- the company has a dominant position in the world market
- big business remained dominant in the economy
- Verb: dominate
- Noun: dominance
- as usual, Williams dominated the meeting
- the political and economic dominance of the USA
dominate
ˈdɒmɪneɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if something dominates a place or
situation, it is bigger or more
important than other things, and stops
people noticing or thinking about
anything else
Verb
- the new skyscrapers really dominate the city
- the church dominates the town square
- the town is dominated by a huge power station
- the economy dominated the election campaign
- as usual, Williams dominated the meeting
- Adjective: dominant
- Noun: dominance
- the company has a dominant position in the world market
- big business remained dominant in the economy
- the political and economic dominance of the USA
donate
dəʊˈneɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
if you donate something to a charity
or organisation, you give it without
getting anything in return because you
want to help the charity or
organisation
Verb
- donate something to something
- they donated £2,000 to the hospital
- every dollar you donate goes toward the rebuilding project
- using a credit card, you can donate online
- please donate generously as every little bit counts
- the school was built with funds donated by the Colmore family
- Noun: donation
- Noun: donor
- make a donation
- a generous donation
- request a donation
- accept a donation
- we’ve received some very generous donations
- a donation of £5 is requested from all visitors to the exhibition
- entrance is free, but donations are gratefully accepted
- donors have given over £30,000
- an anonymous donor
- the donor countries (the countries who gave money)
donation
dəʊˈneɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
a donation is money or goods that
someone gives to help or support a
charity or other organisation
Noun
- make a donation
- a generous donation
- request a donation
- accept a donation
- we’ve received some very generous donations
- the money was raised through private donations
- a donation of £5 is requested from all visitors to the exhibition
- these donations have helped the theatre stay open
- entrance is free, but donations are gratefully accepted
- Verb: donate
- Noun: donor
- donate something to something
- they donated £2,000 to the hospital
- every dollar you donate goes toward the rebuilding project
- using a credit card, you can donate online
- donors have given over £30,000
- an anonymous donor
- the donor countries (the countries who gave money)
donor
ˈdəʊnə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
a donor is someone who gives money to
help an organisation or charity
Noun
- $50 comes from donors and the rest from government
- donors have given over £30,000
- an anonymous donor
- the donor countries (the countries who gave money)
- more than £8,000 was contributed by private donors
- Noun: donate
- Verb: donation
- they donated £2,000 to the hospital
- every dollar you donate goes toward the rebuilding project
- using a credit card, you can donate online
- we’ve received some very generous donations
- the money was raised through private donations
- these donations have helped the theatre stay open
dose
dəʊs
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
a dose of medicine is the exact
amount of it that the doctor says you
should have at one time. If you say
that something or someone is all right
in small doses, you mean that you do
not want to have much of it or spend a
long time with them
Noun
- he’s OK in small doses
- I can take his humour, but only in small doses
- classical music is fine, so long as it’s in small doses
downplay
ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
to downplay something means to try
and make people think it is less bad
or serious than it really is
Verb
- the marketing of lotteries downplays the odds against winning
- trying to downplay the problem
- the Russian Navy initially downplayed the incident
- official sources downplayed the numbers of casualties
- Synonym: play down
- a government official played down the report
- she played down fears that the injury might force her retirement from tennis
downward
ˈdaʊnwə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
a downward trend or process involves
something getting worse or
decreasing
Adjective
- these measures could reverse the downward spiral
- the downward population trend slowed down
- a downward revision to its profit forecast
- workers will see significant downward pressure on wages
- Adverb: downward
- sales trended downward after Christmas
- any earlier predictions must now be revised downward
drag
dræɡ
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you drag someone somewhere, you
make them go there with you, even
though they do not want to go
Verb
- my friend dragged me along to the party
- trying to drag him away from the pub
- they dragged me off to the cinema
- we managed to drag him out of bed
draining
ˈdreɪnɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if an activity is draining, it uses
all your physical or mental energy and
makes you feel tired
Adjective
- emotionally/mentally draining
- physically draining
- I found the film emotionally draining
- the work can be physically and mentally draining
- Adjective: drained
- emotionally/mentally drained
- feel drained
- physically drained
- utterly/completely drained
- I felt utterly drained
- the team were physically and emotonally drained
dramatic
drəˈmætɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if something is dramatic, it is quite
exciting and impressive
Adjective
- a dramatic painting of the Battle of Trafalgar
- Cumbria is famous for its dramatic scenery
- the story ended in a highly dramatic fashion
- the whole experience was quite dramatic
- Adverb: dramatically
- he kicked open the door and leapt dramatically into the room
draw
drɔː
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to draw a sports match means to end
the game with the same number of goals
or points as your opponent, so that
neither side is the winner
Verb
- draw with someone
- we should have drawn with them at least
- they drew 2 all with Chelsea
- City and United drew nil all (no one scored any goals)
- we drew both our first matches in the tournament
- Kane scored 2 minutes from the end and the match was drawn
- Noun: draw
- we got a draw against Arsenal
- the match ended in a draw
- Bolton fought back to secure a draw
dread
dred
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
if you dread something, you worry
about it happening because you think
it will be unpleasant or harmful
Verb
- dread to think something
- I used to dread going home in the dark
- I dread to think how much this is going to cost
- she always dreaded the weekly swimming lesson
- Adjective: dreaded
- the first indications of some dreaded disease
- the dreaded secret police
- the dreaded telegram arrived on Thursday morning: Jim was dead
drift
drɪft
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if things are drifting, no one is
controlling events or planning what
should happen. If someone is drifting,
they are not trying to control what is
happening in their life
Verb
- drift along/around
- drift into something
- it will only make things worse if you just let things drift
- she drifted into a job as a waitress
- I like to sit back and let life drift around me
- do you just drift along and accept what happens, rather than setting specific goals?
drive
draɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to drive people into a particular
condition or situation means to force
them into it
Verb
- can education drive people away from crime?
- money problems drove him to despair (made him desperate)
- his constant chattering drove me mad
- fear of being caught almost drove him to suicide
dropout
ˈdrɒpaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
a dropout is someone who leaves
school, college, or university before
they finish their course of
studies
Noun
- dropouts often complain that their classes were too boring
- a pair of college dropouts who couldn't find work
- school dropout rates were rising
- Phrasal verb: drop out
- he dropped out at the end of the second semester
- why do so many students drop out of school?
drown
draʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if someone drowns, they die by being
under water for too long and being
unable to breathe any air
Verb
- she drowned in the sea
- I’m terrified of drowning
- Liam's mother accidentally drowned whilst swimming
- at least 15 passengers drowned while dozens remain missing
- the boat overturned and a sailor was drowned
- a tragic drowning in the local swimming pool
drug
drʌɡ
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
to drug someone means to give them a
drug without their knowing about it so
that they will be sleepy or
unconscious. To drug their drink means
to put a drug into something that they
will drink
Verb
- I think he’d drugged them to make them fall asleep
- police believe he may have drugged his victims
- Paul drugged a drink with a sleeping pill and gave it to her
dubious
ˈdjuːbiəs
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
if you think something is dubious,
you are not sure that it is true or
correct. If you are dubious about
something, you are not sure if it is
true or correct
Adjective
- the referee gave some dubious decisions
- that seems a bit dubious to me
- some of the information was highly dubious
- some of his colleagues were equally dubious about the plan
- the waiter looked dubious for a moment
- both these ideas are extremely dubious
- Adverb: dubiously
- the chief shook his head dubiously
- the figures were rather dubiously obtained
dump
dʌmp
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if you refer to a place as a dump,
you mean it is very dirty, untidy, or
in a bad condition
Noun
- the place was a bit of a dump
- his flat was a real dump
- what a dump!
- a rubbish dump (where rubbish is taken and left)
- Verb: dump
- he’d dumped all his dirty washing onm the bed
- someone dumped a load of rubbish outside our front door
earnings
ˈɜː(r)nɪŋz
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
someone’s earnings are all the money
they get for doing their job
Noun plural
- average earnings
- hourly/weekly/monthly earnings
- earnings growth
- average earnings rose sharply last year
- hourly earnings fell 1% in January
- Verb: earn
- earn money/income
- earn a living
- I earned more last year than my father did
- how much do you earn a week?
ease
iːz
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if something eases or eases off, it
becomes less severe
Verb
- we had to pull over until the rain eased off
- it’s eased off a bit now
- the pain was beginning to ease
- the snow’s eased off slightly
ease
iːz
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
ease is a feeling of being relaxed
and comfortable. If you are at ease in
a situation, you are relaxed and do
not feel threatened
Noun uncount
- put someone at ease
- feel at ease
- he was at ease with them
- I felt completely at ease
- we tried to make him feel at ease
- he seemed ill at ease (not relaxed)
- they tried to put me at ease (make me feel relaxed)
eczema
ˈeksɪmə
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
eczema is a skin condition in which
your skin is constantly sore and you
want to scratch it all the time
Noun uncount
- I have slight eczema on the palms of my hands
- Jeffrey’s eczema was getting worse as a result of all the stress
- cases of asthma and eczema are rising by about 5% every year
- allergies such as eczema
- a flare up of my eczema (a time when it suddenly gets worse)
edge
edʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if there is an edge to a situation,
people realise that there is some
danger or that something exciting
might be about to happen
Noun
- a fact which lends a disturbing edge to the portrait
- it gave the show a certain edge
- the presence of his ex-wife gave the meeting an extra edge
efficiently
ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)ntli
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if something happens or is done
efficiently, it happens or is done
well and without wasting any time or
money
Adverb
- the problem was resolved quickly and efficiently
- the whole process went smoothly and efficiently
- I don’t work very efficiently early in the morning
- a rail system that can efficiently transport thousands of commuters every day
- Adjective: efficient
- Noun: efficiency
- Antonym – Adjective: inefficient
- Adverb: inefficiently
- the staff are friendly and efficient
- a very efficient way of managing your time
- the kitchen staff were highly efficient
- the changes should lead to greater efficiency
- it may also improve the efficiency of the system
- there were too many small, inefficient firms
- the food distribution system is highly inefficient
- water is used inefficiently nearly everywhere
- the business was being run very inefficiently
elbow
ˈelbəʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your elbow is the joint in the middle
of your arm, which makes your arm able
to bend
Noun
- I banged my elbow on the door
- she fell and injured her elbow
- take your elbows off the table (because it’s considered rude to rest your elbows on a dining table in Britain)
- can you bend your elbow, or is it too stiff?
embark
ɪmˈbɑː(r)k
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
to embark on a journey or activity
means to begin it. To embark also
means to go on board a ship or plane
at the start of a journey
Verb
- embark on something
- the company embarked on a major review of its operations
- diplomats embarked on another round of talks
- think carefully before embarking on such a venture
- he embarked on a journey that would take him across three continents
- she’s about to embark on a degree course
- we’re embarking on a Caribbean cruise
- the passengers were given the signal to embark
- Antonym: disembark
- all passengers should disembark as quickly as possible
- a small number of passengers were not allowed to disembark in Tunis
embark
ɪmˈbɑː(r)k
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
to embark on a journey or activity
means to begin it. To embark also
means to go on board a ship or plane
at the start of a journey
Verb
- embark on something
- she embarked on a degree in software engineering
- the company embarked on a major review of its operations
- diplomats embarked on another round of talks
- think carefully before embarking on such a venture
- he embarked on a journey that would take him across three continents
- we’re embarking on a Caribbean cruise
- the passengers were given the signal to embark
- Antonym: disembark
- all passengers should disembark as quickly as possible
- a small number of passengers were not allowed to disembark in Tunis
emperor
ˈemp(ə)rə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
an emperor is a person who controls
not just one country but several
countries. These countries are known
as an empire
Noun
- the church contains the tomb of the last emperor
- the emperor had absolute power
- a magnificent statue of the emperor
- the museum was founded in 1814, during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon
- Adjective: imperial
- he was not afraid to use his imperial authority
- an imperial prince (the son of an emperor)
emphasis
ˈemfəsɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
emphasis is special importance that
you think something has, which affects
the way you deal with it
Noun
- place emphasis on something
- we place too much emphasis on punishment
- emphasis is placed on reducing pollution in the city centre
- the navy put particular emphasis on the need for new aircraft carriers
- the emphasis here is on speaking and listening rather than reading and writing
- Verb: emphasise
- training of public officials should be emphasised
- the role of good project management is emphasised
empty
ˈempti
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
to empty a container means to take
everything out of it. If you empty the
contents of a container, you take them
all out
Verb
- I must have emptied a litre of water out of my shoes
- she emptied a bucket of water over the two dogs
- you can buy lots of these earrings without emptying your wallet (without spending all the money that you have)
- she opened her bag and emptied the contents out on the desk
enable
ɪnˈeɪb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
to enable something to happen means
to make it possible for that thing to
happen
Verb
- art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth
- the long holiday enabled us to finish the repairs to the farmhouse
- good communication enabled them to increase total efficiency
- this option enables you to print your ticket before going to the airport
- Adjective: enabled
- web-enabled mobile devices
encounter
ɪnˈkaʊntə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to encounter something means to
experience it
Verb
- the hero encountered a problem
- the idea has encountered fierce opposition
- we encountered a few problems
- United Nations forces encountered some resistance
- Noun: encounter
- some violent encounters with the police
- a close encounter with a snake
- our first encounter (the first time we met)
end-of-year
ˌend əv ˈjɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
end-of-year activities happen at the
end of a period of time such as a
school year or a financial year
Adjective
- an end-of-year party
- the chairman’s end-of-year review can be downloaded from the company website
- end-of-year exams
- her end-of-year address to the nation
- the finance department are preparing the end-of-year results
enquiry
ɪnˈkwaɪri
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
an enquiry is a question intended to
get some information about something.
An enquiry is also a formal process of
finding out what happened in a
particular situation. The spelling
inquiry is also used
Noun
- launch an enquiry
- make enquiries
- an internal enquiry
- a public inquiry
- an independent inquiry
- helping the police with their enquiries
- a major police inquiry is being carried out
- launch a murder inquiry
- an internal inquiry (carried out within an organisation and not involving people from outside)
- Dr Clark demanded a full independent inquiry
- Willis was sent over to Ireland to make preliminary enquiries
- a public inquiry was held and the scheme was approved
- we try to answer written enquiries within 24 hours
- Verb: enquire or inquire
- I’m just calling to enquire about some prices
- I’m phoning to inquire whether you have any rooms available
ensure
ɪnˈʃɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
to ensure that something happens
means to make certain that it
happens
Verb
- ensure that something happens
- tax breaks have ensured low ticket prices
- please ensure your child returns the signed letter to us
- you must ensure that all the clips are done up securely
- precautions to ensure the safety of all passengers
entrepreneur
ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
an entrepreneur is someone who sets
up and runs a business
Noun
- prospective entrepreneurs present their plans to a panel of investors
- a successful entrepreneur
- Lisa is a serial entrepreneur, having founded three businesses
- some high school entrepreneurs who started a sports business
- commerce grew significantly as the city attracted business entrepreneurs
- Adjective: entrepreneurial
- his entrepreneurial skills
- my past entrepreneurial attempts failed
- his entrepreneurial spirit carried him through
erect
ɪˈrekt
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
to erect something means to build
it
Verb
- the monument was erected in 1928
- high-rise blocks were erected in the east of the city
- they have erected a security fence around the factory
- trying to erect a tent
- the old hospital buildings were demolished and new buildings erected
- Noun: erection
- the date of its erection is unclear
- the erection of a new tower followed a year later
establishment
ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
an establishment is a business such
as a restaurant or shop
Noun
- the police targeted key establishments
- a high-end establishment (one that is very expensive)
- most establishments on this street sell basic goods such as foodstuffs
- around 155 shops and eating establishments
- restaurants, retail establishments and residential accommodation
- the first commercial establishments here probably opened around 1905
- other establishments sell watches and cheap jewellery
establishment
ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
an establishment is a business such
as a restaurant or shop
Noun
- a high-end establishment (one that is very expensive)
- most establishments on this street sell basic goods such as foodstuffs
- around 155 shops and eating establishments
- restaurants, retail establishments and residential accommodation
- the first commercial establishments here probably opened around 1905
- other establishments sell watches and cheap jewellery
ever-increasing
ˈevə(r)ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
an ever-increasing number of things
is continuing to grow and get
larger
Adjective
- ever-increasing numbers/quantity/amount
- ever-increasing demand
- an ever-increasing amount of military aid
- the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate
- ever-increasing house prices in London
- an ever-increasing demand for cheap food
ever-increasing*
ˈevə(r) ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
something that is ever-increasing is
continuing to grow in size or
number
Adjective
- ever-increasing numbers
- ever-increasing demand
- paying off an ever-increasing student loan
- we’re using up fossil fuels at an ever-increasing rate
- the ever-increasing price of houses in London
- ever-increasing fuel bills
- an ever-increasing number of visitors from abroad
everyday
ˈevriˌdeɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
everyday things and activities are
very normal and not unusual in any
way
Adjective
- everyday life/experience/language
- everyday activities/situations
- everyday objects
- everyday objects made of plastic rather than wood or metal
- a language will not survive if it is not used in everyday life
- the everyday activities of ordinary people
- Twitter and Facebook are part of my everyday routine
- there is beauty in normal, everyday happenings
excellence
ˈeksələns
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
excellence is the quality of being
extremely good
Noun uncount
- her academic excellence took her to a top school
- he won an award for teaching excellence
- our workforce is committed to excellence and achievement
- high standards of excellence and professionalism
- Adjective: excellent
- Adverb: excellently
- Verb: excel
- excel at (doing) something
- an excellent example of the rewards of careful research
- her exam results were excellent
- the symphony was excellently performed
- he excelled at sports
- Paul excels at making teams work together
excess
ˈekses
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
when you make a claim on an insurance
policy, the excess is the amount of
money you have to pay yourself, and
the insurance company will pay the
rest
Noun
- a £100 excess
- if your claim is for a laptop, there is a £75 excess fee
- under most sections of the policy, claims will be subject to an excess
excessive
ɪkˈsesɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if you say that something is
excessive, you mean that it seems to
be more than is necessary or
reasonable
Adjective
- it all seemed a bit excessive
- the amount seems a bit excessive
- some people see the charges as excessive
- police employed excessive violence during the arrest
- the prices charged are often excessive
- Adverb: excessively
- Noun: excess
- Adjective: excess
- do something to excess
- an excess of something
- excessively high taxes
- the film lasted an excessively long time
- an excess of chemicals in the water
- he drinks, but not to excess
- cycling is a good way to lose excess weight
exclude
ɪkˈskluːd
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to exclude someone or something means
to deliberately stop them being part
of a group or taking part in a
particular activity
Verb
- cheats are looked down on and excluded
- no one should be excluded from sport
- an attempt to exclude the press from the event
- I felt a bit excluded
- he’s been excluded from school (told to leave)
- Noun: exclusion
- the exclusion of some vital data from the report
- her exclusion from school
exclusive
ɪkˈskluːsɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
somewhere or something that is
exclusive is available only for a
small number of people, is usually
very expensive, and is considered to
be desirable or fashionable
Adjective
- an exclusive restaurant
- an exclusive range of cosmetics
- exclusive clubs for the city's wealthy residents
- an exclusive neighbourhood in the south of Mexico City
- Noun: exclusiveness
- Noun: exclusivity
- this degree of comfort gives the customer a feeling of exclusiveness
- production is limited to 375 units to maintain exclusivity
exhaustion
ɪɡˈzɔːstʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
exhaustion is a state of extreme
tiredness
Noun uncount
- suffer from exhaustion
- complete/total exhaustion
- physical/mental exhaustion
- I immediately forgot all the pain and exhaustion
- ended up collapsing with exhaustion
- the birds died of exhaustion
- was suffering from exhaustion and ill-health
- everyone by then was in a state of complete exhaustion
- Verb: exhaust
- Adjective: exhausting
- Adjective: exhausted
- exhaust yourself
- absolutely/totally exhausting
- emotonally/mentally/physically exhausting
- absolutely/totally exhausted
- emotionally/mentally/physically exhausted
- he had exhausted himself even before the concert started
- an exhausting day
- a mentally exhausting experience
- events had left her physically and mentally exhausted
- we finally arrived, exhausted but happy
existence
ɪɡˈzɪst(ə)ns
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
the existence of something is the
fact that it exists in the world and
is a real thing. A person’s existence
is their life, especially when talking
about what sort of life they
have
Noun
- be in existence
- think critically about your previous existence
- I led a miserable existence until I left home
- she simply ignored my existence
- the club was founded in 1895 and is still in existence
- Verb: exist
- Adjective: existing
- Antonym – Adjective: non-existent
- for weeks we existed on baked beans and bread
- a traditional fishing industry still exists here
- the rest of the existing building is modern
- changing the existing system is difficult
- facilities were bad or non-existent
- traffic was practically non-existent after midnight
expanse
ɪkˈspæns
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
an expanse of land or water is a very
large area of it
Noun
- a vast/enormous/endless expanse (of something)
- an endless expanse of forest
- a tiny island in the expanse of the Pacific Ocean
- an expanse of land to the south of the mountain
- Adjective: expansive
- Australia covers an expansive area
- the clear waters and expansive beaches of the resort
expansion
ɪkˈspænʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
the expansion of something is an
increase in its size
Noun
- any expansion of the stadium will make things worse
- they presented their businesses and plans for expansion
- economic expansion slowed considerably in the 1970s
- the company is set for a major expansion
- suburbs began a rapid expansion and car ownership increased
- Verb: expand
- the business expanded dramatically
- in the 1950s, the town expanded considerably
experiment
ɪkˈsperɪˌment
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to experiment with something means to
do a test on it in order to find out
what happens
Verb
- experiment with something
- experiment on someone or something
- they experimented with different types of brick
- we need to experiment further
- surgeons experimented on rabbits before using the technique on humans
- Portugal briefly experimented with Continental Time in the 1990s
- Noun: experiment
- Adjective: experimental
- Adverb: experimentally
- Noun: experimentation
- do/conduct/carry out/perform an experiment
- an experiment shows/proves something
- experimental methods/data/results
- permission to conduct the experiment was granted
- the experiment was a failure
- the experiment showed no harmful effects of the drug
- no changes were allowed during the experimental period
- the experimental methods of Dr Hughes
- an experimental research project
- the theory cannot be tested experimentally
- this can be demonstrated experimentally under laboratory conditions
- experimentation is highly encouraged here
- successful experimentation requires careful attention to detail
experimental
ɪkˌsperɪˈment(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
an experiment is a scientific test
that you do to see what happens under
certain conditions. Experimental art
or music involves trying new methods
in an attempt to create something
completely different from what has
gone before
Adjective
- his paintings became more and more experimental
- I was always attracted to experimental music
- his creative process in doing art is mostly experimental
experimental
ɪkˌsperɪˈment(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
an experiment is a scientific test
that you do to see what happens under
certain conditions. Activities that
you do like this are
experimental
Adjective
- experimental methods/data/results
- no changes were allowed during the experimental period
- the experimental methods of Dr Hughes
- an experimental research project
- the experimental nature of the scheme
- the experimental results were encouraging
- Noun: experiment
- Verb: experiment
- Adverb: experimentally
- do/conduct/carry out/perform an experiment
- an experiment shows/proves something
- permission to conduct the experiment was granted
- the experiment was a failure
- the experiment showed no harmful effects of the drug
- we need to experiment further
- surgeons experimented on rabbits before using the technique on humans
- the theory cannot be tested experimentally
- this can be demonstrated experimentally under laboratory conditions
exploit
ɪkˈsplɔɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to exploit something means to use it
in a way that gives you an advantage
or benefit
Verb
- he escaped by exploiting the monster’s only weakness
- the technique exploits developments in satellite technology
- the coal could not be commercially exploited until a railway had been built
- the country needs to exploit its rich mineral resources
- Noun: exploitation
- commercial exploitation of wind power is increasing
exploit
ɪkˈsplɔɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
to exploit someone means to treat
them very unfairly so that you get a
lot of benefit and they do not
Verb
- ruthlessly/shamelessly exploit someone
- he got rich by exploiting people
- a country where the powerful exploit the powerless
- Noun: exploitation Noun: exploiter
- exploitation of women/children/workers
- a government that failed to stop the exploitation of children
- some four million people are subject to this level of exploitation
- exploiters of cheap labour
extreme
ɪkˈstriːm
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
extreme means very great in degree or
very severe in effect
Adjective
- how would you define extreme poverty?
- always exercise extreme caution when catching snakes
- extreme cold kills twice as many people as extreme heat
- Arkansas is known for extreme weather and many storms
- such extreme temperatures can be a threat to health (very hot or very cold temperatures)
- Adverb: extremely
- an extremely difficult task
- in November, the situation became extremely dangerous
eyesight
ˈaɪˌsaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
your eyesight is how well you are
able to see things
Noun uncount
- carrots are supposed to be good for your eyesight
- as we get old, our eyesight gets worse
- Dennis has struggled with poor eyesight for years
- exercises that can improve your eyesight
face
feɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you face something dangerous or
unwanted, if you are faced with it, or
if it faces you, it is present and
might cause harm to you
Verb
- the hero is trapped and faces death
- the council was faced with several difficult problems
- the second major problem facing the country is the economy
- the environmental issues facing the United Nations today
- the music business is facing huge challenges from piracy and theft
facilitate
fəˈsɪləteɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to facilitate a process or activity
means to provide support for it so
that it can happen more easily
Verb
- technology is also facilitating new types of crimes
- we aim to facilitate learning through collaboration with students
- the Internet has greatly facilitated this process
- sliding doors facilitate quick entry and exit
- the new rail network facilitated the transport of goods across the country
- the Internet is facilitating new collaboration between researchers
- Noun: facilitation
- instruction is simply the facilitation of another's learning
fail
feɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
when something such as a machine or
an important part of your body fails,
it stops working properly
Verb
- both engines failed within an hour of taking off
- the brakes failed in the wet conditions
- she was only 11 when her kidneys failed
- Noun: failure
- he pulled out of the race with engine failure
- heart failure is a common cause of death
- the probable cause was mechanical failure
faint
feɪnt
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you faint, you lose consciousness
for a short time, for example because
you are very hungry or too hot
Verb
- she fainted from hunger
- I think I’m about to faint
- he used to faint at the sight of blood
- she almost fainted with shock
- he turned white and almost fainted
faint
feɪnt
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if you faint, you become unconscious,
for example because you are not well
or because you are too hot or because
you have had a strong emotional
feeling
Verb
- I think I’m going to faint
- she almost fainted when she heard the news
- he had never fainted in his life
- she was the sort of girl who wouldn’t scream and faint in a crisis
fall apart
ˈfɔːl əˌpɑː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if something falls apart, it breaks
into pieces because it is old or not
well made
Phrasal verb
- my shoes are falling apart
- an old book that was falling apart
- the suitcase just fell apart while I was packing it
- their relationship fell apart (failed)
fancy
ˈfænsi
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you refer to something as fancy,
you mean that it looks fashionable or
expensive
Adjective
- he drives a fancy car
- a fancy hotel in Mayfair
- the sandwiches were quite plain, nothing fancy
- a fancy jacket with gold buttons
fancy
ˈfænsi
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if you fancy someone, you think they
are attractive and you want to have a
relationship with them
Verb
- you could see he fancied her
- they’ve fancied each other for ages
- do you fancy him?
- she’s a good friend, but I don’t fancy her
fare
feə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
the fare is the amount of money you
have to pay for a particular journey
on public transport or in a taxi
Noun
- bus/train/air fare
- one-way/return fare
- standard/second class/first class fare
- taxi/cab fare
- the taxi fare to the hotel
- an increase in train fares
- the bus fares are quite cheap
- trying to keep fares low
- complaints about high fares
- the return fare to New York is £475
- the standard metro fare in Moscow is 40 roubles
fatal
ˈfeɪt(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
an illness or injury that is fatal
will kill someone. A fatal problem or
difficulty will have a very bad effect
and cause someone or something to fail
in what they are trying to do
Adjective
- a fatal accident/crash
- a fatal mistake
- a fatal flaw
- prove fatal
- does the monster have a fatal flaw?
- three fatal accidents happened over the weekend
- Brian’s fatal mistake was to borrow more than he could afford
- without medicine, his condition could prove fatal
- Adverb: fatally
- this economic model was fatally flawed
- one of the men was fatally stabbed
fault
fɔːlt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if a bad situation or a mistake is
your fault, you are responsible for
causing it. When this happens, you can
also say that you are at fault
Noun uncount
- it was assumed that the customer was at fault
- do we know whose fault it was?
- it was an unfortunate incident, but the school was not at fault
feed
fiːd
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to feed an addiction or to feed a
strong need means to provide what is
necessary to satisfy it, for example
when someone gets drugs or drink when
they are addicted or when they get
money to gamble with
Verb
- he needed money to feed his addiction
- he will lie, cheat, or steal to feed his need for power and money
- as a politician, he attempted to feed our need for simple answers
- I realised he was using his dinner money to feed his gambling addiction
fellow
ˈfeləʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
your fellow students or workers are
the people you study with or work
with
Adjective
- I get on well with my fellow students
- he was talking to some fellow passengers
- his fellow countrymen
- her fellow office workers
- Noun: fellow
- he was admired by his fellows in the medical profession
figure
ˈfɪɡə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you figure something, you guess it
or come to believe it as a result of
thinking about it
Verb
- I figured it would take too long to walk, so took the car
- they lost their best players but had their best season ever. Go figure! (it’s true even though it seems strange or unlikely)
figure
ˈfɪɡə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
a woman’s figure is the shape of her
body
Noun
- she had a good figure
- if I eat too much I’ll lose my figure
- No cake for me, thanks. I’m watching my figure (trying to keep a good shape)
filthy
ˈfɪlθi
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if something is filthy, it is
extremely dirty
Adjective
- the whole place was muddy and everything got filthy
- a filthy T-shirt
- his clothes looked filthy
- the house was absolutely filthy
- Noun: filth
- everything was covered in filth
- the whole place was full of filth and dirt
find your feet
ˌfaɪnd jɔː(r) ˈfiːt
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you find your feet, you gradually
get to know about things in a new
situation
Phrase
- I’ve arrived in Hong Kong and I’m gradually finding my feet
- Sophie eventually found her feet after a difficult first week at university
- once you’ve found your feet you’ll wonder what you’d been worrying about
fine line
ˈfaɪn ˌlaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if there is a fine line between two
qualities, they are very similar and
one could easily become the same as
the other. If you walk a fine line,
you are in a situation where you have
to be very careful not to do something
you do not want to do
Phrase
- a fine line between things
- walk/tread a fine line
- there is a fine line between reporting and opinion
- the fine line between being cooked and overcooked
- the script walks a fine line between realism and fantasy
finely
ˈfaɪnli
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if you chop or shred something
finely, you chop it or cut it into
very small pieces
Adverb
- chop the herbs really finely
- finely shredded cabbage
- fill each half with a finely chopped tomato
- a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
- finely grate the ginger
finish
ˈfɪnɪʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if something you eat or drink has a
sweet finish, a sour finish, etc it
leaves a sweet or sour taste in your
mouth after the other flavours are
forgotten
Noun singular
- a squeeze of orange will give it a sweet finish
- a white wine with a crisp, sweet finish
- a refreshing fruity and delicately sour finish
- the 2008 vintage has strong flavours and a meaty, savoury finish
fireworks display
ˈfaɪə(r)wɜː(r)ks dɪˌspleɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
fireworks are devices that create
colourful moving shapes and patterns
in the sky. They use explosive
chemicals and often make a loud noise
when they are lit. Firework displays
are large public events when lots of
large and impressive fireworks are set
off to celebrate occasions like New
Year’s Day or Independence Day in the
United States
Noun
- a fireworks display/show
- the fireworks started going off at 7 o’clock
- a spectacular fireworks display
- at midnight there was a big fireworks show
- the fireworks exploded and nearly destroyed the building
- never throw fireworks into a bonfire
fixture
ˈfɪkstʃə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
fixtures are things like baths,
sinks, or door handles that are fixed
in place, and that stay in a house
when it is sold
Noun
- fixtures and fittings
- a factory producing bathroom fixtures
- ceiling fans and overhead light fixtures
- before selling the house, it's a good idea to repair or replace old or damaged fixtures
- what fixtures and fittings are included in the sale? (all the fixed items in the house)
flame
fleɪm
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
a flame is the hot yellow or orange
gas that you see when something is
burning. If something is burning in an
uncontrolled way, you can say that it
is in flames
Noun
- burst into flames
- go up in flames
- be engulfed in flames
- the whole place was in flames
- the plane crashed and burst into flames
- the studio burned down and his latest paintings went up in flames (were destroyed in the fire)
- the vehicle was engulfed in flames (burning so much that all you could see were the flames and not the vehicle)
- the flames spread and set the curtains alight
- firefighters succeeded in putting out the flames
flash
flæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if a light flashes or if someone
flashes it, it goes on and off very
quickly. If you flash your lights
while you are driving, you turn your
main lights on and off very quickly as
a signal to another driver
Verb
- I got flashed by a speed camera (the camera automatically photographed my car because I was going too fast)
- she flashed her lights to tell me I could go
- the warning light was flashing
- lightning flashed across the sky
- Noun: flash
- a flash of bright light
- a blinding flash of light (extremely bright)
- a flash of lightning in the sky
flash
flæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
Verb
flash
flæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
a flash of light is a very sudden and
bright light which appears and then
disappears very quickly
Noun
- there were incredible flashes of lightning
- a flash of bright light
- a blinding flash of light (extremely bright)
- we saw a lightning flash before we heard the thunder
- Verb: flash
- the warning light was flashing
- lightning flashed across the sky
flaw
flɔː
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
a flaw is a slight fault in
something. If a person has a flaw,
they have a particular weakness or
fault in their character
Noun
- a fatal flaw
- the monster has a fatal flaw (a weakness that will definitely lead to failure)
- John had some serious character flaws
- a fundamental design flaw (a problem with something as a result of its design rather than its manufacture)
- there were several obvious flaws in his plan
- Adjective: flawed
- Adjective: flawless
- the reasoning was seriously flawed
- the hero of the story is a deeply flawed character
- her performance was almost flawless
- a flawless scheme that was bound to succeed
flesh
fleʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
the flesh of fish or meat is the part
that you can eat, not the bones or
fat. You can also talk about the flesh
of fruit or vegetables to describe the
inside part, not the skin or the
stone
Noun singular
- the flesh should come away from the bones easily
- the fruit has a pale yellow flesh
- fish should smell fresh and have firm flesh
- the flesh was sweet and juicy
- Adjective: fleshy
- fleshy fruits about the size of a small olive
- the berries are deep red and fleshy when fresh
flexibility
fleksəˈbɪləti
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
your flexibility is your ability to
bend and move your body
Noun uncount
- doing yoga really helps your flexibility
- improve your flexibility
- maintain your flexibility
- we need more flexibility in the workplace (the ability to make changes easily)
- Adjective: flexible
- I’m not flexible enough to touch my toes
- employees need to be flexible these days (able to make changes easily)
flick through
ˈflɪk θruː
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
if you flick through a magazine or
newspaper, you turn the pages over
quickly, looking to see if there is
anything interesting, but not reading
any of it closely. If you flick
through the channels on a television,
you go quickly from one channel to
another, watching for only a short
time, trying to find a programme that
you want to watch properly
Phrasal verb
- she was flicking through the channels
- he spent an hour flicking through sports websites
- she was curled up in the armchair, flicking through a book
- I'd been flicking through a couple of magazines when he arrived
- Christina flicked through her diary
- Noun: flick through
- I was just having a quick flick through
- I went into the library for a flick through of the morning paper
- a quick flick through of the channels suggested there was nothing interesting on
flick through
flɪk θruː
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if you flick through a magazine or
newspaper, you turn the pages over
quickly, looking to see if there is
anything interesting, but not reading
any of it closely. When someone is
doing this, you can say they are
having a flick through
Noun
- I was just having a quick flick through
- I went into the library for a flick through of the morning paper
- a fast flick through revealed the story was on page 43
- Phrasal verb: flick through
- she was curled up in the armchair, flicking through a book
- I'd been flicking through a couple of magazines when he arrived
- Christina flicked through her diary
float
fləʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
if you are floating, you are lying on
water without sinking
Verb
- police are investigating after a body was discovered floating in a river
- can you float?
- I tried to float but was scared of sinking
- the boat floated out into the channel
float
fləʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if something floats, it rests on the
surface of a liquid and does not
sink
Verb
- it will float to the surface
- a plastic bag floated in the water
- don’t struggle – just relax, and you’ll float
- the logs floated down the river
flood
flʌd
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a flood is an occasion when large
amounts of water pour into an area,
for example after there has been a lot
of very heavy rain or if a water pipe
bursts. If you get floods of something
unwanted, a large quantity of it
arrives
Noun
- there’ve been a lot of floods with all this rain
- the village was cut off by floods
- the flood water rose rapidly overnight
- the need for better flood defences
- they had floods of complaints when it was first sold
- she was in floods of tears (crying a lot)
- Verb: flood
- fears that the river could flood
- thousands of homes are now flooded
- the river broke its banks and flooded the village
- we were flooded with orders in the run-up to Christmas
- the radio station was flooded with complaints from listeners
- his inbox is flooded with more than 200 emails per day
flood
flʌd
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if an area floods, large amounts of
water pour in, for example after there
has been a lot of very heavy rain or
if a water pipe bursts. If you are
flooded with things that arrive in
large numbers, you get so many of them
that it is difficult to deal with them
all
Verb
- we were flooded with orders in the run-up to Christmas
- the radio station was flooded with complaints from listeners
- his inbox is flooded with more than 200 emails per day
- this question has flooded social media
- Noun: flood
- the village was cut off by floods
- they had floods of complaints when it was first sold
- she was in floods of tears (crying a lot)
flood
flʌd
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if an area floods, large amounts of
water pour in, for example after there
has been a lot of very heavy rain or
if a water pipe bursts
Verb
- the whole area was flooded
- fears that the river could flood
- thousands of homes are now flooded
- the river broke its banks and flooded the village
- Noun: flood
- Noun: flooding
- the village was cut off by floods
- the flood water rose rapidly overnight
- the need for better flood defences
- flooding caused extensive damage to the school
- the town experienced its worst flooding since 2003
fog
fɒɡ
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
fog is a thick cloud that forms close
to the ground
Noun singular
- thick/dense fog
- fog lifts/clear
- fog comes down/descends
- thick fog
- hopefully the fog will lift soon
- a dense fog had descended on the area
- we couldn’t see anything through the fog
- Adjective: foggy
- foggy weather
- a foggy day/morning/night
- it was a cold and foggy morning
- the weather tomorrow will be foggy, with rain in the afternoon
fool
fuːl
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you call someone a fool, you mean
you think they are stupid and do
stupid things. If you say you made a
fool of yourself, you mean that you
did something stupid
Noun
- I’m scared of making a fool of myself
- she was trying to make a fool of me
- don’t be a fool
- what a fool I’ve been
- Adjective: foolish
- Adverb: foolishly
- Noun: foolishness
- it was foolish to set off when it was still raining
- he was afraid of looking foolish
- what he did was utterly foolish
- I foolishly agreed to go with him to Paris
- you behaved foolishly last night
- it was foolishness that made me do it
- the foolishness of his remarks
format
ˈfɔː(r)mæt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
the format of something such as a
radio or television programme is the
way the different parts of it are put
together and presented in a certain
order
Noun
- the format of something
- other broadcasters copied the show’s format
- the format of the course is 10 hours tuition per week
- the show returned a year later in a slightly different format
forthcoming
fɔː(r)θˈkʌmɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
a forthcoming event has been planned
and is due to happen soon
Adjective
- she talked about her forthcoming trip
- the forthcoming general election
- their forthcoming wedding
- the forthcoming Rembrandt exhibition
fortune
ˈfɔː(r)tʃuːn
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
a fortune is a large amount of
money
Noun
- cost/spend/pay a fortune
- earn/make a fortune
- be worth a fortune
- he spent an absolute fortune on his cars
- the house must be worth a small fortune now (a surprisingly large amount of money)
- your salary is a fortune compared to mine
- he made a fortune on the stock market
found
faʊnd
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
to found an institution means to
start it and provide the money it
needs to become established
Verb
- the RSPCA was founded in 1824
- the company was originally founded in 1923
- Noun: founder
- the founders intended the school to take both boys and girls
- his grandfather was one of the founders of the organisation
frank
fræŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if you are frank, you say exactly
what you believe in a clear, honest,
and truthful way
Adjective
- be frank (about something)
- be frank with someone
- to be frank, I’d never really thought about it
- she was quite frank about the affair
- a frank exchange of views (an argument)
- I’ve always been frank with you (told you the truth)
- Adverb: frankly
- Noun: frankness
- quite frankly, I'm bored with the whole thing
- frankly speaking, I don't know my neighbours at all
- she answered his questions frankly and cheerfully
- he talked about his past with complete frankness
- the frankness of her reply surprised him
fraud
frɔːd
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
fraud is the crime of telling lies or
deceiving people in order to gain
money for yourself
Noun uncount
- commit fraud
- a victim of fraud
- he was sent to prison for tax fraud
- credit card fraud
- identity fraud (pretending to be someone else to get money)
- he admitted to committing fraud in his suicide note
- the missing businessman was being hunted by the fraud squad (the police department that investigates cases of fraud)
- the fraud was detected in early 2014
- Adjective: fraudulent
- Adverb: fraudulently
- Noun: fraudster
- Verb: defraud
- defraud someone of something
- she made a fraudulent insurance claim
- fraudulent business activities
- he fraudulently claimed for train fares
- a convicted fraudster
- remember: the fraudsters are very skilled at answering your every objection
- he had been accused of defrauding church members in New Jersey
- clients of the firm had been defrauded of around £40 million
fraud
frɔːd
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
fraud is the crime of telling lies or
deceiving people in order to gain
money for yourself
Noun
- commit fraud
- a victim of fraud
- he was sent to prison for tax fraud
- credit card fraud
- identity fraud (pretending to be someone else to get money)
- he admitted to committing fraud in his suicide note
- the missing businessman was being hunted by the fraud squad (the police department that investigates cases of fraud)
- the fraud was detected in early 2014
- Adjective: fraudulent
- Adverb: fraudulently
- Noun: fraudster
- Verb: defraud
- defraud someone of something
- she made a fraudulent insurance claim
- fraudulent business activities
- he fraudulently claimed for train fares
- a convicted fraudster
- remember: the fraudsters are very skilled at answering your every objection
- he had been accused of defrauding church members in New Jersey
- clients of the firm had been defrauded of around £40 million
fraudulent
ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
fraud is the crime of deliberately
deceiving people in order to get money
from them. Fraudulent activity is
based on a lie and deliberately tries
to deceive people, especially in order
to get money from them
Adjective
- fraudulent activities/practices
- a fraudulent claim
- a fraudulent insurance claim
- fraudulent and illegal arrangements
- unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent practices
- Adverb: fraudulently
- Noun: fraud
- Noun: fraudster
- Verb: defraud
- the money had been fraudulently obtained
- a fraudulently signed contract
- he was sent to prison for tax fraud
- he admitted to committing fraud
- a convicted fraudster
- he had been accused of defrauding church members in New Jersey
freeze
friːz
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
when something freezes, it becomes
hard because it is so cold. When
people freeze, they get very
uncomfortable because it is extremely
cold. You can also say that you are
freezing or that a place is freezing
when it is very cold
Verb
- I thought I was going to freeze to death
- it’s freezing in here
- it’s freezing outside
- the water in the lake had started to freeze
- put the heater on. I’m freezing
- Adjective: frozen
- Adverb: freezing
- a frozen river
- frozen vegetables
- the weather was wet and freezing cold
friction
ˈfrɪkʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if there is friction between people,
there is unfriendliness or
disagreement between them
Noun
- there was friction between the two sisters
- the usual frictions between parents and teenagers
- money was a source of friction between them
- Eric refused to give it back, and that's where the friction arose
frown on
ˈfraʊn ˌɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
to frown on something or to frown
upon it means to disapprove of
it
Phrasal verb
- such displays of affection are frowned on here
- some people still frown on divorce
- smoking in the park is frowned upon
frustration
frʌˈstreɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
frustration is the feeling you have
when there are problems which you
cannot solve because you cannot
control events
Noun
- we have a moan and share our frustrations
- he screamed out loud in pure frustration
- Rose was weeping with fear and frustration
- angry customers took to Twitter to voice their frustration
- Verb: frustrate
- Adjective: frustrating
- Adjective: frustrated
- it really frustrates me that I can’t drive with a broken arm
- they were so frustrated that the university was taking so long to respond
- we spent a frustrating afternoon looking for the keys
- the application process was highly frustrating
fuel
ˈfjuːəl
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
fuel is material such as coal, gas or
petrol that is used to make heat or
light or to provide power for
machines. If a machine is
fuel-efficient, it works well and does
not waste fuel while it is
working
Noun uncount
- fossil/nuclear fuel
- solid fuel
- aviation fuel
- airlines pay no tax on aviation fuel (fuel that powers aeroplanes)
- an increase on fuel duty (tax that you pay on petrol)
- damage to the planet caused by burning fossil fuels (coal, gas or oil which comes out of the ground)
- we ran out of fuel
- very good fuel consumption (the amount of fuel a car uses)
- the fuel tank
- domestic fuel bills
- Verb: fuel
- the use of uranium to fuel nuclear power stations
fulfil
fʊlˈfɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if you fulfil a duty or obligation,
you succeed in doing what is
necessary
Verb
- we will be able to fulfil all our orders before Christmas (deliver all the goods that have been ordered)
- on top of his research, he had to fulfil his normal teaching duties
- the school made sure it fulfilled its legal obligations
- Noun: fulfilment
- we can't guarantee fulfilment of last minute requests
fulfil
fʊlˈfɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to fulfil a duty, requirement, or
obligation means to succeed in doing
or providing what is necessary
Verb
- these plots fulfil a deep psychological need for moral order
- we will be able to fulfil all our orders before Christmas (deliver all the goods that have been ordered)
- on top of his research, he had to fulfil his normal teaching duties
- the school made sure it fulfilled its legal obligations
- Noun: fulfilment
- we can't guarantee fulfilment of last minute requests
- this was the fuflilment of the promise made two years ago
full
fʊl
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if a machine is on full, it is
working at its maximum
capability
Adverb
- the air-conditioning is on full
- Phrase: full blast
- they played music at full blast all night
fume
fjuːm
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
fumes are gases and smoke from fires,
burning chemicals, car engines etc,
that are unhealthy and unpleasant to
breathe, and that can make people feel
unwell
Noun
- toxic/poisonous fumes
- petrol/diesel/exhaust/traffic fumes
- asthma is made worse by the exhaust fumes
- chemicals which give off nasty fumes
- a petrol engine producing poisonous fumes
- a cloud of toxic fumes
- he was overcome by fumes (made unconscious by them)
funeral
ˈfjuːn(ə)rəl
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a funeral is the ceremony that takes
place when someone who has recently
died is put into the ground, or when
their body is burned
Noun
- hold a funeral
- attend a funeral
- a state funeral
- her funeral will be held on Wednesday
- Otto's funeral was organised by his sons Karl and George
- her funeral was attended by 150 family and friends
- a state funeral (a funeral organised by the government for a very important person)
- Adjective: funeral
- a funeral service
- the funeral service was simple and moving
- the funeral procession went from Westminster to St Paul’s Cathedral
gamble
ˈɡæmb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
to gamble means to risk money in the
hope of winning more money. To gamble
also means to do something that has
risks and will only be successful if
certain things happen
Verb
- I don’t gamble at casinos
- people are gambling with their lives
- we were gambling that he’d be back in time
- typically, he gambles most of his wages within a couple of days
- he doesn’t smoke, drink, or gamble
- Noun: gamble
- Noun: gambler
- Noun: gambling
- a big/huge gamble
- a desperate gamble
- take a gamble
- be a bit of a gamble
- I knew it was a bit of a gamble
- calling an early election was a huge political gamble
- his gamble paid off (was successful)
- Ross risked everything on a last gamble
- the company was taking a considerable gamble
- a support group for compulsive gamblers (people who cannot stop gambling)
- his luck as a gambler had been extraordinary
- horse racing is about more than just gambling
- gambling is a potentially addictive behaviour
- online gambling has become more strictly regulated
gamble
ˈɡæmb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
to gamble means to do something that
involves risk. It also means to risk
money in an attempt to win more
money
Verb
- gamble on something
- gamble with something
- if you go abroad for treatment, you are gambling with your health
- he’s gambling that the product will be popular
- I’ve never been tempted to gamble on horse racing
- Noun: gamble
- Noun: gambling
- Noun: gambler
- deciding to go ahead with the event was a gamble
- it was a big gamble
- he took a gamble and it paid off (was successful)
- people who disapprove of gambling
- a compulsive gambler (a gambler who cannot stop gambling)
gap
ɡæp
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a gap is a hole in something solid,
where something is missing. If you
think something is missing from a
situation, you can say there is a gap
there
Noun
- fill a gap
- a gap widens/narrows
- to exploit a gap in the market (start to sell a product that no one else is selling)
- the $23 billion financing gap was filled
- a skills gap (when there are not enough skilled workers to meet the demand)
- there are huge gaps in my knowledge of physics
- taking up yoga filled a gap in my life
gather
ˈɡæðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
to gather things means to collect
them. To gather crops means to take
them from the fields or places where
they are growing and bring them
indoors to be stored or eaten
Verb
- we’re off to gather mushrooms
- the harvest was all gathered in by the end of the month
- they lived by hunting and fishing and gathering plants and seeds
- we’ve gathered quite a lot of information
- the police are still gathering evidence
- he hastily gathered his things together and left
gather
ˈɡæðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
if people gather somewhere, they all
come together there for a particular
purpose
Verb
- gather round/around
- family and friends usually gather outside the town hall to take photos
- crowds started gathering outside the palace at dawn
- we gathered round and waited for the announcement
- Noun: gathering
- a select gathering (only people who were invited)
- a family gathering
- public gatherings were banned
- an international gathering of surgeons
gaze
ɡeɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you gaze at something, you look at
it for a long time
Verb
- I sat there gazing out of the window
- he lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling
- she was gazing into space
- he gazed thoughtfully at the painting
- Noun: gaze
- my gaze was fixed on the letter
- he lowered his gaze (looked down)
gear
ɡɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
the gears on a car or bicycle are the
bits of machinery that control the way
the energy is changed into movement
Noun
- high/low gear
- change gear
- first/second etc. gear
- reverse gear
- forward gears
- in gear
- out of gear
- start off in first gear
- he changed gear before braking hard at the corner
- leave the car in gear if you’re only stopping for a few seconds, otherwise take it out of gear
- he drove off with a great crashing of gears
gender
ˈdʒendə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
someone’s gender is whether they are
male or female
Noun uncount
- the company was accused of gender discrimination
- discrimination on the grounds of gender
- are there gender differences in attitudes to work? (do men and women think differently about work?)
- it’s important to combat gender stereotypes
generate
ˈdʒenəreɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to generate something means to make
it happen and develop
Verb
- take advantage of the interest we’ve generated
- the region generates its income mainly through agriculture
- questions that generated helpful discussions
- techniques designed to generate even more visits to their website
- Noun: generation
- daily generation of refuse exceeds two kilos per person
genetic
dʒəˈnetɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
your genes are the parts of the cells
in your body that control how you grow
and develop. Genes are passed on from
parents to children. All humans,
animals, and plants have genes.
Genetics is the study of genes and the
way they influence us. You use genetic
when talking about things that relate
to genes and genetics
Adjective
- research suggests the condition is genetic
- such genetic changes can cause cancer
- genetic modification has been possible for many years now
- some bacteria also transfer genetic material between cells
- genetic engineering (artificially altering the genes of a person, animal, or plant)
- Noun: genetics
- Noun: gene
- Adverb: genetically
- genetically modified/engineered
- she studied genetics for many years
- the current understanding of human genetics
- the variation between individual humans is controlled by genes
- gene therapy (treatment of a disease by modifying someone’s gene)
- genetically modified crops (plants that have had their genes artificially altered)
- humans are genetically related to many other animals
gesture
ˈdʒestʃə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
a gesture is a movement you make with
your arms or body as a way of saying
something, either instead of speaking
or at the same time as you are
speaking
Noun
- an angry/rude gesture
- a hand gesture
- make a gesture
- the waiter didn’t speak English so we used hand gestures
- he made a gesture for me to sit down
- he held up his hand in an angry gesture
- she made a gesture towards the armchair
- Verb: gesture
- gesture to/towards/at something
- gesture for someone to do something
- she gestured for me to follow her outside
- the policeman gestured at me to get out of the car
- “Look” he said, gesturing towards the painting
get away with
ɡet əˈweɪ wɪð
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if you get away with a crime or with
doing something wrong, you are not
caught and don't get punished for
it
Phrasal verb
- he can’t keep getting away with it
- it’s too risky, you’ll never get away with it
- his mum lets him get away with murder (doesn’t punish his bad behaviour)
- he robbed a bank and got away with it
get away with
ɡet əˈweɪ wɪð
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you get away with a crime or with
doing something wrong, you are not
caught and punished for it
Phrasal verb
- he can’t keep getting away with it
- it’s too risky, you’ll never get away with it
- his mum lets him get away with murder (doesn’t punish his bad behaviour)
- he robbed a bank and got away with it
get hold of
ˌɡet ˈhəʊld ɒv
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if you get hold of something, you
manage to find it or obtain it and can
use it for yourself
Phrase
- somehow, they got hold of my bank details
- it’s relatively easy to get hold of this information
- a reporter got hold of the story and next day it was on the front page
get lost
ˌɡet ˈlɒst
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you tell someone to get lost, you
are telling them forcefully to go
away
Phrase
- I had to tell him to get lost
- I wish he’d just get lost
- why don’t you just get lost?
- go on – get lost!
get over
ˌɡet ˈəʊvə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you get over an illness or other
problem, you become better again and
things are back to normal
Phrasal verb
- it took a few days to get over my jet lag
- she still hadn’t got over her husband’s death
- he hasn’t got over the shock yet
- I had flu, but I’ve got over the worst of it now
get-together
ˈɡet ˌtəˈɡeðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
a get-together is a party you have
with friends or family
Noun
- a small get-together
- an informal get-together
- a family get-together
- an annual get-together
- we have an annual get-together every June in Plymouth
- a family get-together at my brother’s house
- an informal get-together at her old school
- Phrasal verb: get together
- we must get together after Christmas
- it’s the first time we’ve been able to get together for nearly three years
glimpse
ɡlɪmps
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if you get a glimpse of something or
someone, you see them for a very short
time
Noun
- catch/get a glimpse of someone/something
- I caught a glimpse of the stadium from the train
- she got a brief glimpse of the eagle as it flashed by
- we got a glimpse of the sea
- people queued up for a glimpse of the star
- Verb: glimpse
- I glimpsed a man walking past the house
- she was sure he was the man she had glimpsed earlier that evening
globalisation
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
globalisation
ˌɡləʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
globalisation is the increasing way
in which large companies can operate
all over the world instead of in just
one country, and in which people can
move easily from one country to
another when they want something that
they can’t get in their own country
Noun uncount
- economic globalisation
- cultural globalisation
- increasing globalisation
- the increasing globalisation of world trade
- a positive response to the globalisation of our industry
- the principal agents of economic globalisation are major business corporations
- economic globalisation implies a great deal more than the development of extensive trade links
- Verb: globalise
- Adjective: globalised
- production has been increasingly globalised
- in another step towards globalising education, the university opened a campus in China
- industries which failed to adapt to the globalised market
- our globalised 24-hour news culture
- the globalised economy
glued
ɡluːd
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
glue is something you use to stick
things together so they can't move. If
you say that your headphones are glued
to your ears, you mean that they are
always there and don't move. Or if you
say you are glued to the TV or your
seat, you mean that you don't move
because what you're watching is so
exciting
Verb
- be glued to something
- he’s been glued to his desk all day
- I was glued to the radio and Internet news reports
- we were glued to the screen
- Charlie sat glued to the bar stool
- the pages were cut and then glued together
- Noun: glue
- strong/thick glue
- a jar of glue
- use colourless glue if you can
go off
ˌɡəʊ ˈɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if a bomb, weapon, or other explosive
device goes off, it explodes
Phrasal verb
- the device went off near the station
- the bomb could go off off at any minute
- I was worried the gun might go off accidentally
- I could hear fireworks going off
good cause
ˌɡʊd ˈkɔːz
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
good causes are activities,
organisations, and charities that
operate without money from the
government and that people think do a
useful job for society
Noun
- it's a fundraiser for a good cause
- all the money raised will be donated to a good cause
- the business raised over £25,000 for good causes last year
gorgeous
ˈɡɔː(r)dʒəs
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
someone or something that is gorgeous
is extremely enjoyable, beautiful, or
attractive
Adjective
- absolutely/utterly gorgeous
- drop dead gorgeous
- don’t you think George Clooney is just gorgeous?
- she was young, single, and drop dead gorgeous (extremely gorgeous)
- what a gorgeous gown you’re wearing
- those flowers are gorgeous
- you look gorgeous in that dress
- Adverb: gorgeously
- the sauce was gorgeously rich and creamy
- the rooms are gorgeously decorated, clean and comfortable
grab
ɡræb
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if you grab something, you take hold
of it quickly and roughly
Verb
- grab hold of something
- he grabbed my bag and ran off
- she grabbed hold of the branch to stop herself from falling
- he grabbed the knife and stabbed the burglar in the leg
- Julie suddenly grabbed his arm
- Noun: grab
- he made a grab for my purse
grab
ɡræb
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you grab something such as food or
a drink, you take it from somewhere
very quickly, especially because you
are in a hurry
Verb
- there’s no time for lunch; I’ll grab a sandwich at the station
- can you grab me a coffee while I make a call?
- she grabbed a can of Coke on her way into the lecture
grace
ɡreɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
grace is kind and polite
behaviour
Noun uncount
- with good/bad grace
- have the grace to do something
- accept the offer with good grace
- they took their defeat with bad grace
- at least she had the grace to admit she was wrong
- Adjective: gracious
- Adverb: graciously
- Adjective: graceful
- Adverb: gracefully
- Adjective: graceless
- Adverb: gracelessly
- he was gracious in defeat
- an English gentleman with his gracious wife and beautiful family
- he graciously accepted our invitation
- she stayed behind and graciously answered journalists’ questions
- he spoke a few graceful words by way of a thank-you
- she gracefully accepted his offer
- he wanted to say something kind so as not to seem sullen or graceless
- "no", he said gracelessly, already halfway to the door
grand
ɡrænd
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if something is grand, it is big and
impressive
Adjective
- the houses looked very grand
- a grand public building
- he’s got grand plans
- two grand staircases go up to the top floor
- Noun: grandeur
- the 18th century grandeur of the palace
- the hotel has many modern facilities whilst keeping its Victorian grandeur
grave
ɡreɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
someone’s grave is the place where
their body is buried
Noun
- an unmarked grave
- a shallow grave
- a mass grave
- we visit her grave every weekend
- police have found a body in a shallow grave
- a freshly-dug grave
- a mass grave (with a large number of bodies)
- somewhere in an unmarked grave lay her grandfather (a grave with no indication of who is buried in it)
greed
ɡriːd
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
greed is the quality of always
wanting more of something than you
need, especially food or money
Noun uncount
- in an ideal world, there would be no greed or violence
- financial crime is motivated by pure greed
- there will always be human greed
- personal greed is just another aspect of human nature
- Adjective: greedy
- Adverb: greedily
- she’s quite greedy when it comes to chocolate
- he was in the kitchen, greedily finishing the last of the stew
gripping
ˈɡrɪpɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if something is gripping, it is
extremely exciting
Adjective
- a gripping tale/story/drama/novel
- the film was absolutely gripping
- a really gripping ending
- a gripping account of how the battle was fought
- it's his best and most emotionally gripping story yet
- Verb: grip
- Adjective: gripped
- the story really grips you from the very start
- we were all gripped by the TV reports
groom
ɡruːm
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
at a wedding, the groom is the man
who is getting married
Noun
- here’s a toast to the bride and groom
- on the day, the groom is not meant to see his bride before the ceremony
- the bride and groom were followed by the best man and the bridesmaid
- Synonym: bridegroom
- they returned to the bridegroom's house for the reception
ground
ɡraʊnd
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
the ground you cover in a discussion
is the range of subjects and ideas you
discuss
Noun uncount
- familiar/safe/old/new ground
- cover/go over ground
- there may be some middle ground where you can compromise
- don’t go over old ground
- we covered quite a lot of ground
- we seemed to go over the same ground lots of times
- her book goes over rather familiar ground
guarantee
ˌɡærənˈtiː
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a guarantee is a formal promise by
the maker of a product to repair or
replace it if it breaks or does not
work properly. Guarantees usually last
for a certain number of years
Noun
- come with a guarantee
- be under guarantee
- the washing machine came with a three-year guarantee
- it’s a good idea to keep the guarantee
- it’s still under guarantee (the guarantee still applies to it)
- it was expensive, but has a lifetime guarantee (the guarantee will last for ever)
- Verb: guarantee
- all our cars are fully guaranteed for 12 months
- the wood is all guaranteed against rot (the makers promise that it will not rot, and will replace it if it does)
hack
hæk
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if someone hacks a computer or hacks
into a computer system, they get into
it illegally, often to steal valuable
or important information
Verb
- it’s easy for someone to hack into your account if you don’t have a strong password
- somebody hacked into the company servers over the weekend
- an attempt to hack the Pentagon’s computers
- Noun: hacker
- Adjective: hacked
- formerly a hacker, he now works for a computer security firm
- money was taken from a hacked bank account
halt
hɔːlt
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
a halt is when something stops moving
or happening. If something or someone
comes to a halt, they stop moving and
become still
Noun singular
- come to a halt
- put a halt to something
- call a halt (to something)
- it eventually came to a halt on a cloud
- the train came to a sudden halt
- the economy seems to be grinding to a halt
- the police were unable to put a halt to the gang’s activities
- I suggest we call a halt to this stupid argument
- it is better to call a halt now before the situation gets out of contriol
- Verb: halt
- they want to halt the experiments
- work on the new bridge has been halted by protestors
- the search for survivors has now halted
hand in
hænd ɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you hand in something such as your
homework, you give it to your teacher.
If you hand in your resignation or
your notice, you tell your employer
that you are going to leave your
job
Verb
- hand in your homework/your resignation/your notice/a petition
- she handed in her resignation
- a petition was handed in at the town hall
handle
ˈhænd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you handle a difficult situation,
you deal with it successfully and make
sure that everything works out well;
if you handle a situation badly, you
are not able to control it and further
problems develop
Verb
- handle a situation (well/badly)
- we can learn to handle them better
- they are fully trained and ready to handle the problems that might arise
- it's a situation I believe I can handle, given a bit of time
- how do you think he'll handle the pressure of being prime minister?
- things might have been handled a bit better if we'd seen the report earlier
- student discipline has to be handled with care
handle
ˈhænd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a handle is the part of a device or
tool that you hold in your hand when
you are using it or if you have to
pick it up
Noun
- you could use the handle of the wooden spoon
- the handle of the drying pan was too hot to hold
- a plastic bucket with a metal handle
hands up
ˈhændz ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
teachers say hands up when they want
students to put their arm up in the
air to show that they are ready to
answer a question or have done
something that was expected. Speakers
also say hands up when they want to
get some information from their
audience
Phrase
- hands up who can remember when Shakespeare was born
- I need a volunteer to take this to the headteacher; hands up
- hands up those of you who are from Mexico
hang
hæŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you get the hang of something that
is difficult or complicated, you learn
how to do it
Noun
- you’ll soon get the hang of it
- I haven’t quite got the hang of it
- he never got the hang of it
hang
hæŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you say that someone’s mouth was
hanging open, you mean the look on
their face showed that they were
extremely surprised or impressed by
something
Verb
- I sat gazing out of the window with my mouth hanging open
- the sisters were looking at me, their mouths hanging open
- her mouth hung open in amazement
hang up
ˈhæŋ ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
if you hang something up, you put it
somewhere so that the top of it is
attached to something like a wall or a
hook, and the rest of it can move
freely
Phrasal verb
- I washed my clothes and hung them up to dry
- hang your coat up in the hall, then come through
- she hung up her hat and sat down
harm
hɑː(r)m
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
harm is the bad effect of an action
or damage caused by the action
Noun uncount
- cause/do/inflict harm
- significant/serious/irreparable/untold harm
- changing your diet now will do more harm than good
- I didn’t mean any harm
- an increased risk of harm
- you risk untold harm to your liver (extremely serious harm)
- there’s a risk that the child will suffer serious harm unless action is taken
- Adjective: harmful
- Adjective: harmless
- deeply/positively/extremely harmful
- potentially harmful
- environmentally harmful
- a harmful substance/effect
- harmful emissions
- completely/perfectly/relatively harmless
- seemingly harmless
- environmentally harmful farming methods
- alcohol is a potentially harmful substance
- higher taxes risk having a harmful effect on the car industry
- he looks very fierce but he’s quite harmless
- most of these substances are relatively harmless
- a bit of harmless fun
harshly
hɑː(r)ʃli
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
if you treat someone harshly, you
treat them in a very cruel or unkind
way
Adverb
- the prisoners are treated very harshly
- he felt he’d been punished too harshly
- Brady was harshly criticised for his actions
- Adjective: harsh
- everyone thought the sentence was harsh and unfair
- he imposed strict rules and harsh punishments on his followers
harvest
ˈhɑː(r)vɪst
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
harvest is the process of collecting
crops from the fields where they have
been growing. A harvest is all the
crops once they have been
collected
Noun
- better farming techniques will lead to better harvests
- the weather stayed fine throughout the harvest
- the harvest takes between 10 and 30 days
- after three weeks, the harvest was all gathered in
- the wheat harvest yielded 2,500 tons of grain
- there was a record harvest in 2014 (the biggest amount ever was collected)
- Verb: harvest
- boys were released from school to help the farmers harvest their crops
- the crop was harvested early to make room for summer vegetables
hatred
ˈheɪtrɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
hatred is a very strong dislike for
someone or something
Noun uncount
- deep/intense hatred
- have a hatred of (doing) something
- stir up hatred
- hatred for someone
- faces filled with hatred
- an intense hatred for his father
- he has a hatred of the police that will never leave him
- those who stir up hatred between nations
- Verb: hate
- Adjective: hateful
- hate doing something
- hate to do something
- we hated to give them any encouragement
- she hated being away from home for so long
- it was all the fault of that hateful man
hazard
ˈhæzə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a hazard is something that is
dangerous and might cause damage to
someone or something
Noun
- a fire hazard
- a health hazard
- pose a hazard
- constitute a hazard
- his house became a fire hazard (it risked causing a fire)
- it had become a health hazard
- an occupational hazard (one that you face as part of a job)
- the chemicals pose a hazard to human health
- firefighters face a lot of hazards
- this poses hazards to the life and health of miners
- moisture constitutes a hazard for buildings and their occupants
- Adjective: hazardous
- hazardous chemicals
- a hazardous job
- flying through through the storm was especially hazardous
- hazardous waste has to be treated very carefully
heal
hiːl
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if a wound or a broken bone heals or
if something heals it, it recovers and
becomes well again
Verb
- it took several weeks for the wound to heal
- give it time and it will heal itself
- she was healed by the latest medical treatment
- Noun: healing
- the healing process
- these herbs are known to have healing properties
healthcare
ˈhelθkeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
healthcare is a system that provides
medical treatment for people. Some
healthcare systems are private, and
people have to pay for them, but some
countries provide healthcare for all
citizens and pay for it out of
taxes
Noun uncount
- state-provided healthcare
- in America, healthcare is mostly private
- the new procedure is safer for healthcare workers
- the demand for healthcare services is increasing
- providers and consumers of healthcare
- inadequate provision of healthcare
- politicians endlessly debating the costs of healthcare
healthy
ˈhelθi
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a healthy attitude or approach to
something is normal and sensible
Adjective
- a healthy attitude/approach
- we have a healthier and more open attitude to death these days
- Amanda has a healthy attitude to life and doesn’t worry about unimportant things
- a healthy respect for law and order
- a healthy dislike of daytime TV
- a healthy outcry against corruption
- Antonym: unhealthy
- an unhealthy fascination with guns
heating
ˈhiːtɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
heating is the process of providing
warmth to a building
Noun
- the heating system was dangerous
- we pay £40 a month for the heating
- rent is £700 and heating is extra
- a cenral heating system
- Verb: heat
- how much does it cost to heat this place?
heavens
ˈhev(ə)nz
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you talk about the heavens, you
are referring to the sky
Noun plural
- the heavens open
- seconds later, the heavens opened and it started pouring with rain
- the sun moved slowly across the heavens
- the heavens darkened and the rain came down
- white clouds were dotted about the heavens
heavens
ˈhev(ə)nz
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
if you talk about the heavens, you
mean the sky and all the mysterious
things that might be up above us
Noun plural
- the bundle disappeared up into the heavens
- the heavens were lit up with flashes of lightning
- if there are no clouds tonight, you’ll see the spaceship up in the heavens
hectic
ˈhektɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
if things are hectic, you are very
busy and have to deal with lots of
different things very quickly
Adjective
- a hectic lifestyle
- at a hectic pace
- a hectic day/week/month
- she leads a really hectic life
- life continues at a hectic pace on the farm
- high-stress jobs and hectic lifestyles
- another hectic day at the office
- work has been hectic for months
- this week has been pretty hectic
- Adverb: hectically
- leading a hectically busy life
- I’ve been working hectically trying to meet the deadline
herd
hɜː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
a herd of animals is a large group of
them together. Typically, cows and
elephants live in herds
Noun
- a herd of cattle/cows/elephants
- he kept chickens and a herd of cows
- a large herd of elephants
- a dairy herd (a herd of cows that are kept for their milk)
- Verb: herd
- she learnt to herd cattle on her brother’s farm
- he spent his childhood herding goats for his father
- It’s like herding cats (it’s an impossible task)
heritage
ˈherɪtɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a country's heritage is its cultural
traditions that have developed over a
long time, its important and
historical buildings, and its sense of
its own history
Noun uncount
- a rich heritage
- a national/cultural heritage
- preserve/protect one’s heritage
- people should appreciate their own heritage
- it’s important to protect our national heritage
- buildings that are part of our heritage
- the country’s rich cultural heritage
- trying to preserve their Scottish heritage
heritage
ˈherɪtɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
a country's heritage is its cultural
traditions that have developed over a
long time, its important and
historical buildings, and its sense of
its own history
Noun uncount
- a rich heritage
- a national/cultural heritage
- preserve/protect one’s heritage
- it’s important to protect our national heritage
- buildings that are part of our heritage
- the country’s rich cultural heritage
- trying to preserve their Scottish heritage
hi-tech
ˈhaɪtek
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
hi-tech equipment and systems use the
latest, best, and most modern
technology available
Adjective
- hi-tech equipment/weapons/devices
- hi-tech systems
- hi-tech computers
- hi-tech products made in China
- the growth of high-tech industries (industries that use or produce hi-tech equipment)
- a contract for the sale of £2bn of hi-tech weapons
- Noun: hi-tech
- Noun: high technology
- increased production will rely on high technology
- what is the effect of high technology on levels of employment?
hideous
ˈhɪdiəs
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
something that is hideous is
extremely ugly or horrible
Adjective
- a hideous modern building
- she looks hideous in that dress
- how could anyone compose such hideous music?
- Adverb: hideously
- his face was hideously deformed
- they’re hideously expensive (extremely expensive)
highlight
ˈhaɪˌlaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
the highlights of an event or
experience are the best and most
exciting or interesting aspects of
it
Noun
- the highlights of something
- the highlight of the trip was the day spent in the Hermitage
- highlights of the festival will include a concert in the Town Hall
- among the highlights were cookery demonstrations by a top chef
highlight
ˈhaɪˌlaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you highlight something, you talk
or write about it in a way that draws
special attention to it because you
think it is an important part of what
you are saying
Verb
- highlight issues/concerns/areas
- psychologists highlight several stages that nearly everyone goes through
- the report highlights four key trends in youth crime
- the minister was right to highlight the issue
- she also highlighted concerns about late-night traffic noise
highlight
ˈhaɪˌlaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
if you highlight something, you talk
or write about it in a way that draws
special attention to it because you
think it is an important part of what
you are saying
Verb
- highlight issues/concerns/areas
- the report highlights four key trends in youth crime
- the minister was right to highlight the issue
- she also highlighted concerns about late-night traffic noise
hilarious
hɪˈleəriəs
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
something that is hilarious is
extremely funny
Adjective
- the film was hilarious
- hilarious YouTube clips
- the entire speech was hilarious, from start to finish
- a hilarious joke
- Adverb: hilariously
- Noun: hilarity
- it was hilariously funny
- the woman laughed hilariously and gave him a kiss on the cheek
- his accent was the cause of much hilarity
hip
hɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your hips are the two bones at the
side of your body, just below your
waist
Noun
- narrow/slim hips
- wide hips
- an artificial hip
- a hip replacement
- a hip operation
- Christopher is going into hospital for a second hip operation
- he had broad shoulders and narrow hips
- she waited over a year for a hip replacement (an operation to replace the natural hip with an artificial one)
- Alyssia placed her hands on her hips and stared angrily at him
- he put his wallet in his hip pocket (a pocket at the back of a pair of trousers)
historic
hɪˈstɒrɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a building or event that is historic
was important in the past
Adjective
- a historic building/landmark/site
- many historic buildings were destroyed in the fire
- the entire district is listed as a national historic landmark
- he has already restored several historic houses
honour
ˈɒnə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
to honour someone or something is to
do something that shows your respect
for them or for what they have
done
Verb
- knowing about history, and honouring the dead is very important
- I shall honour her memory for ever
- five firefighters were honoured for their bravery yesterday (were given a medal as a reward)
- a ceremony honouring all who fought in two world wars
horn
hɔː(r)n
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a horn is a device that makes a loud
noise as a warning, for example in a
car
Noun
- drivers are constantly sounding their horns in the street
- all cabins contain radios and alarm horns
- passing drivers honked their horns in support when they saw our banners
house
haʊz
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
to house something means to be the
building where that thing is or where
it operates from
Verb
- the old police station now houses an art gallery
- almost all public libraries now house a computer lab
- the cathedral houses the oldest church organ in Europe
- the building now houses offices, classrooms and seminar rooms
- the office was housed temporarily in old government buildings
humanity
hjuːˈmænəti
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
humanity refers to all the people in
the world, and the ability of anyone
to behave in a sympathetic and kind
way
Noun uncount
- common humanity
- poverty is an affront to our common humanity
- the concept of universal humanity or universal brotherhood
- global warming is the greatest threat facing humanity
- Adjective: human
- Noun: human
- human spirit
- human behaviour
- human error
- human rights
- throughout human history
- a result of human activity
- the study of human society
- the ancestors of modern humans
hunger
ˈhʌŋɡə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
hunger is the state of wanting to eat
because you have not had enough food.
In extreme cases, hunger can cause
death
Noun uncount
- hunger is still a major problem
- global efforts to reduce poverty, hunger and disease
- wolves, in cases of extreme hunger, will eat their puppies
- too many still suffer homelessness and hunger
- Adjective: hungry
- go hungry
- feel hungry
- he spotted a hungry bear watching him
- close to a billion people go hungry every day
- I didn’t feel hungry
hygiene
ˈhaɪdʒiːn
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
hygiene is keeping things clean in
order to prevent illnesses
Noun uncount
- good/proper hygiene
- oral/dental hygiene
- personal hygiene
- poor food hygiene
- his personal hygiene is terrible! (he doesn’t wash or brush his teeth enough)
- good dental hygiene
- very high standards of hygiene
- hygiene training for food handlers
- good standards of hygiene in the canteen are crucial
- Adjective: hygienic
- Antonym: unhygienic
- poor hygienic conditions helped the disease spread
- everything in the kitchen should be clean and hygienic
- this is not a very hygienic system of food preparation
- many restaurants in the city were found to be unhygienic
- living in cold, unhygienic conditions
identification
aɪˌdentɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you have identification with you,
you have an official document that
proves who you are, such as a
passport, a driving licence etc.
Noun uncount
- carry identification
- show/produce identification
- an identification card
- a form of identification
- do you have some form of identification with you?
- report to a police station with a form of identification
- if you can’t produce identification, we can’t let you join the library
- will you accept a gas bill as identification?
impact
ˈɪmpækt
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
the impact of an event is the sudden
and serious effect it has on a
situation
Noun
- a major/enormous/significant impact
- a negative/serious/disastrous impact
- have an impact
- an impact on something
- the environmental impact of heavy traffic in city centres
- a significant impact on the price of oil
- unemployment is known to have a negative impact on health
- this will have a measurable impact on passenger numbers
- Verb: impact
- impact on something
- impact something
- the cuts will certainly impact on service delivery
- working shorter hours will impact negatively on their career progression
- these decisions could impact the lives of thousands of people
implication
ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
the implications of something are the
things that are likely to happen or
become important as a result of
it
Noun
- implications of something
- implications for something
- the case has wider implications for customer services
- this research has important practical implications
- the new regulations have serious implications for British agriculture
- in this blog post he examines the implications of the delay
- Verb: imply
- the ability to read does not necessarily imply the ability to write
- these findings strongly imply that Henderson was at the scene
impose
ɪmˈpəʊz
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if something is imposed on people,
they have to accept it even if they do
not want to
Verb
- impose something on someone
- impose a fine/punishment/penalty
- impose a condition/deadline/limit
- impose a ban
- he urged the army to impose more rigid controls
- the judge imposed a deadline of midnight
- there can be no justification for imposing limits on the amounts that can be spent
- Noun: imposition
- the imposition of something (on someone)
- the imposition of a fine or imprisonment
- the imposition of import controls
impression
ɪmˈpreʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if you get an impression about
something, you get a feeling about it
or form an opinion about it
Noun
- get an impression (about something)
- give someone an impression
- leave someone with an impression
- a first/initial impression
- a wrong impression
- a good/bad impression
- a vivid impression
- I got the impression that someone had died
- I got the distinct impression (the very strong impression) that we weren’t welcome
- I don’t want to give you the wrong impression
- it left me with the impression that she’s not very happy
- what was your first impression of her?
- the painting gives a vivid impression of London in 1850 childhood?
in short
ɪn ˈʃɔː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
you say in short to introduce an
explanation that is a shorter or more
general version of what you have just
said
Phrase
- we need to cut down on manufacturing, driving, heating... in short, anything that burns carbon
inadequate
ɪnˈædɪkwət
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
if something is inadequate, there is
not enough of it, or it is not of good
enough quality
Adjective
- prove inadequate
- feel inadequate
- totally inadequate
- £200 is a totally inadequate sum for fixing the car
- an inadequate supply of qualified teachers
- the new facilities proved to be wholly inadequate
- if you feel alone and inadequate, call a friend
- Noun: inadequacy
- Antonym: adequate
- perfectly adequate
- quite adequate
- barely/hardly adequate
- prove adequate
- the inadequacy of the welfare programme
- a fear of failure and inadequacy
- such feelings of guilt and inadequacy are common
- an adequate supply of fresh water
- a lack of adequate health care
- the heating was barely adequate
- as a teacher, he proved more than adequate
inch
ɪntʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
an inch is a measurement of length,
equal to about 2.54 centimetres
Noun
- a narrow ledge only about eight inches wide
- a six-inch ruler
- we were only inches away from hitting the lorry
- half an inch of rain fell last night
- every inch of the wall was covered in posters and postcards
- Phrasal verb: inch forward
- the queue inched forward (moved forward very slowly)
incident
ˈɪnsɪd(ə)nt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
an incident is something that
happens, often something that is
slightly shocking or unusual
Noun
- an incident happens/occurs
- a violent incident
- the incident left him feeling very disappointed
- the incident happened shortly before 7 yesterday morning
- police emphasised this was only an isolated incident
- several violent incidents occurred in the city centre
- two more unfortunate incidents took place outside the station
incident
ˈɪnsɪd(ə)nt
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
an incident is something that
happens, often something that is
slightly shocking or unusual
Noun
- an incident happens/occurs
- a violent incident
- the police tried to discourage such incidents
- the incident left him feeling very disappointed
- the incident happened shortly before 7 yesterday morning
- police emphasised this was only an isolated incident
- several violent incidents occurred in the city centre
- two more unfortunate incidents took place outside the station
inconsiderate
ˌɪnkənˈsɪdərət
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
someone who is inconsiderate does not
care if their actions have a bad
effect on other people’s feelings or
needs
Adjective
- be inconsiderate of someone (to do something)
- it was very inconsiderate of him to play his music so loudly
- inconsiderate motorists
- a problem with inconsiderate neighbours
- Adverb: inconsiderately
- how could she behave so inconsiderately?
- residents are requested not to park inconsiderately
independently
ˌɪndɪˈpendəntli
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
if you do something independently,
you do it yourself and do not allow
anyone else to organise it or help you
with it
Adverb
- she recovered enough to return home and carry on living independently
- I am planning to travel independently to India next year
- do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
- Adjective: independent
- Noun: independence
- gain/achieve independence
- lose independence
- at the age of 22, he was finally independent of his parents
- an attempt to become more economically independent
- with independence comes responsibility
- if he loses his job, he’ll lose his independence
- she gained some independence by taking a job
- at camp you'll make new friends, learn new things, and gain some independence
indicate
ˈɪndɪkeɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you indicate while you are
driving, you use the flashing lights
on your car to tell other drivers that
you are going to move to the right or
to the left
Verb
- indicate right/left
- she indicated right and moved across to the outside lane
- he turned left down an alley without indicating
- make sure you indicate before you start slowing down
- Noun: indicator
- the indicator is a rod on the steering column
- the indicator clicks to remind you that it’s still on
inheritance
ɪnˈherɪt(ə)ns
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
your inheritance is money that you
get from someone after they die
Noun
- claim an inheritance
- receive an inheritance
- she is struggling to win back her rightful inheritance
- he received a small inheritance from his father
- Jake briefly returned home to claim his inheritance
- she accused him of trying to steal her inheritance
- he left them an inheritance of over £30 million
- she’ll come into her inheritance when she’s 21 (she will receive it)
- Verb: inherit
- will your nephew inherit the farm when you die?
- his only daughter inherited his land
- when the old man dies, who will inherit?
initial
ɪˈnɪʃ(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
an initial idea or action is one that
comes at the beginning of a situation,
and which later changes
Adjective
- the initial ban was introduced in 2006
- the police made an initial breakthrough
- the initial stages of the illness
- his initial reaction was positive
- after an initial success, the business failed in 2009
- initial estimates placed total damage in the area at £40m
- Adverb: initially
- initially, I didn’t enjoy the job
- the company was quite successful initially
- Williams was initially reluctant but eventually agreed to the proposal
initiative
ɪˈnɪʃətɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
an initiative is an important new
plan
Noun
- the launch of a new initiative aimed at getting young people off the streets
- a new initiative for peace
- the government has announced a new education initiative
- we welcome the UN initiative in Somalia
- I hope that the other parties will also support this initiative
- none of these business initiatives was particularly successful
- Verb: initiate
- the government initiated market reforms
- a modernisation programme was initiated in 1990
innovative
ˈɪnəveɪtɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
something that is innovative involves
the use of new ideas to create
something that is original
Adjective
- an innovative approach to traffic management
- the new packaging has an innovative design
- it was a highly innovative product when it was launched
- his ideas did not seem very innovative
- Verb: innovate
- Noun: innovation
- Noun: innovator
- all organisations need to constantly innovate and learn
- those who do not innovate will simply not survive
- the industry grew rapidly thanks to the latest innovations
- technological innovations came rapidly as the 20th century advanced
- Ron was an innovator – an “ideas” man
- we need to identify the next generation of innovators
insanity
ɪnˈsænəti
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
insanity is a serious mental
condition in which someone’s behaviour
is very strange and prevents them from
living normally
Noun uncount
- he pleaded not guilty on the grounds of temporary insanity
- legal insanity is a very narrowly defined state
- the divide between insanity and criminality
- there is a fine line between genius and insanity
- Adjective: insane
- no person who is insane may give evidence in court
- a year later he was certified insane
insight
ˈɪnsaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
an insight is a clear way of
understanding something
Noun uncount
- insight into something
- an experience which gave her insight into the struggle of farmers
- the film provides invaluable insights into their lives
- his writing lacks insight
- she’s got a lot of insight into this problem
- the book gives a real insight into the causes of the war
- his words provide valuable insight on this subject
- Adjective: insightful
- the book is well written and insightful
- she writes a highly insightful blog
insight
ˈɪnsaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
an insight is a clear way of
understanding something
Noun
- insight into something
- a new insight that helped make him a better person
- an experience which gave her insight into the struggle of farmers
- the film provides invaluable insights into their lives
- his writing lacks insight
- she’s got a lot of insight into this problem
- the book gives a real insight into the causes of the war
- his words provide valuable insight on this subject
- Adjective: insightful
- the book is well written and insightful
- she writes a highly insightful blog
insight
ˈɪnsaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
an insight is a clear way of
understanding something
Noun
- insight into something
- research will provide invaluable insights
- an experience which gave her insight into the struggle of farmers
- his writing lacks insight
- she’s got a lot of insight into this problem
- the book gives a real insight into the causes of the war
- his words provide valuable insight on this subject
- Adjective: insightful
- the book is well written and insightful
- she writes a highly insightful blog
insole
ˈɪnˌsəʊl
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
an insole is a soft layer of material
the same shape as your shoe, which you
put inside your shoe and which lies
under your foot
Noun
- one of his shoes had an insole missing
- further cushioning is provided by the padded insoles
- to help shoes dry out more quickly, take any insoles out
inspiring
ɪnˈspaɪərɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
something or someone that is
inspiring makes you excited and
strongly interested and
enthusiastic
Adjective
- an inspiring teacher
- his inspiring leadership was directly responsible for the company's success
- one of the most inspiring speeches I have ever heard
- a ship under full sail is a glorious and inspiring sight
- an inspiring message of hope for the future
- Verb: inspire
- Adjective: inspired
- her passion inspires both students and other teachers
- this inspired me to live a better life
- the coloured envelopes were an inspired idea
- it was an inspired performance by the goalkeeper
instability
ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if there is instability, a situation
is likely to change suddenly
Noun uncount
- political/economic instability
- emotional instability
- the problem is not just instability but a lack of skills
- several years of political instability and civil war
- things that can cause economic instability
- I was worried about her emotional instability
- signs of mental instability
- Adjective: unstable
- Antonyms – Noun: stability
- Adjective: stable
- an unstable economy
- the situation is still unstable
- she seems a bit unstable at the moment
- the weather has been a bit unstable this autumn
- economic stability increased
- these challenges may threaten stability in much of the world
- the economy was thought to be stable up until 2008
- children need a stable environment
integration
ˌɪntɪˈɡreɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
integration is the process in which
people gradually become part of a new
society or group
Noun uncount
- integration into something
- integration into a new culture
- the country’s integration into the EU took years
- policies that encourage social integration
- we’re in favour of greater integration
- Verb: integrate
- they soon became integrated into the local community
- they’ve integrated very well
integrity
ɪnˈteɡrəti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
integrity is great honesty and a
refusal to do anything that you do not
believe is right
Noun uncount
- great integrity
- personal integrity
- moral integrity
- artistic integrity
- with integrity
- it’s rare to find people of that integrity in Hollywood
- he had a high degree of personal integrity
- they were expected to act with integrity at all times
- balancing artistic integrity with commercial considerations
intention
ɪnˈtenʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you have an intention to do
something, you have decided that you
want to do it
Noun
- an intention to do something
- an intention of doing something
- have/be full of good intentions
- announce/express an intention
- he came in full of good intentions
- protestors entered the building with the deliberate intention of damaging it
- buying a new car wasn’t my original intention
- she announced her intention to stand in the election
- Verb: intend
- Adjective: intentional
- Adverb: intentionally
- intend to do something
- intend someone to do something
- Walker had originally intended to compete in five races
- the comment was evidently intended as an insult
- this website is intended for personal research
- I couldn’t tell if it was accidental or intentional
- intentional misconduct is when someone deliberately hurts you
- you should never intentionally harm another person
- the range of topics was intentionally broad
interact
ˌɪntərˈækt
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to interact with other people means
to have contact with them and
communicate with them
Verb
- prisoners are able to meet and interact with members of the general public
- kids learn through playing and interacting
- I enjoy interacting with my readers very much
- most of the families knew each other and interacted socially
- Noun: interaction
- social interaction
- interaction between people
- do you think mobile phones help social interaction?
- there was little interaction between band members on stage
interfere
ˌɪntə(r)ˈfɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you interfere, you become involved
in a situation when your help or
advice is not wanted. An interfering
person interferes a lot
Verb
- interfere in something
- stop interfering!
- I wish you wouldn’t interfere in my business
- Noun: interference Adjective: interfering
- interference in/with something
- we cannot accept any interference in our internal procedures
- try and ignore his interference
- an interfering neighbour
interpretation
ɪnˌtɜː(r)prɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
your interpretation of something is
the particular way you choose to
understand it. If something is open to
interpretation, different people are
likely to understand it in several
different ways
Noun
- I think the book’s open to interpretation
- what’s your interpretation of the novel?
- that’s one possible interpretation
- poetry invites alternative interpretations from readers
- the story has several possible interpretations
- Verb: interpret
- it’s difficult to interpret dreams accurately
- how do you interpret his behaviour?
interrupt
ˌɪntəˈrʌpt
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you interrupt someone, you start
talking while they are saying
something so that they cannot finish
what they were saying
Verb
- be rudely interrupted
- be constantly/repeatedly interrupted
- I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you take a look at this?
- can I just briefly interrupt?
- don’t interrupt me when I’m speaking
- I hate being interrupted when I’m working
- as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted
- the speech was constantly interrupted by protestors
- Noun: interruption
- constant/frequent/repeated interruptions
- there were constant interruptions
- I ignored the interruption and carried on
intimate
ˈɪntɪmət
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
something that is intimate is about a
person’s private life
Adjective
- an intimate painting of the duke’s family at home
- an intimate friend of the artist
- did they have an intimate relationship (a sexual relationship)?
- the newspaper published intimate details of his private life
- Adverb: intimately
- Noun: intimacy
- they know each other intimately (they know personal details about each other)
- things he only talked about in the intimacy of the home
intimidation
ɪnˌtɪmɪˈdeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
intimidation is behaviour that
deliberately tries to frighten
someone, often in order to make them
do something they do not want to
do
Noun
- intimidation of laboratory staff
- they endured years of intimidation
- using various intimidation tactics
- reports of violence and intimidation were widespread
- a campaign of terror and intimidation
- Verb: intimidate
- Adjective: intimidating
- intimidate someone into doing something
- they tried to intimidate him into confessing
- an attempt to intimidate voters
- there was an intimidating atmosphere in the building
- he was a large dog, and very intimidating
invade
ɪnˈveɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
when an army invades a country, it
goes in there and uses force to take
control of the country
Verb
- Germany invaded Poland at the start of the Second World War
- Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812
- England was last invaded in 1066
- Noun: invasion
- Adjective: invading
- Noun: invader
- there was an allied invasion of Sicily in 1943
- the planned invasion was cancelled at the last minute
- the invading arny turned south towards the capital
- the invading forces numbered 1.5 million men
- the invaders took control of the entire country within weeks
- the abbey at Whitby was destroyed by Danish invaders in 867
invariably
ɪnˈveəriəbli
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you say that something invariably
happens or is invariably the case, you
mean that it always happens or is
always the case
Adverb
- they would invariably waive any charge
- power invariably means both responsibility and danger
- smoking is invariably associated with low scholarship
- he invariably wore grey trousers
- this invariably happens when we go to Margate
- Adjective: invariable
- the speed of light is invariable (it never changes, so is always the same)
- this is not an invariable rule
investigation
ɪnˌvestɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if someone carries out an
investigation into something, they
examine all the facts that they can
find about it in order to decide
exactly what happened, if anyone is to
blame, and what action they need to
take
Noun
- an investigation into something
- an investigation is underway
- an ongoing investigation
- a thorough investigation
- conduct/launch/carry out an investigation
- be under investigation
- the police made such a mess of the investigation
- by evening, a full scale police investigation was underway
- the problem was discovered as a result of an ongoing investigation
- a thorough investigation into the issue was launched a few days ago
- both men found themselves under criminal investigation
- Verb: investigate
- Noun: investigator
- Adjective: investigative
- specialists were called in to investigate the causes of the explosion
- the police are now investigating a possible fraud
- the accident needs to be thoroughly investigated
- crash investigators concluded that the pilot had fallen asleep
- investigators searched the house for the murder weapon
- investigative journalism (reporting that goes into a lot of detail and reveals a lot of facts about an important issue)
- they promised to cooperate in the independent investigative process
investment
ɪnˈves(t)mənt
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
investment is the use money for an
activity which you hope will have a
good effect, either because it will
help create something useful, or
because it will make money for you. An
investment is also something you buy
which you hope will increase in value
over the years
Noun
- private/public investment
- foreign/inward investment
- the whole area needs renovation and investment
- they encourage foreign investment
- large investments are also necessary in the electricity industry
- the government is actively promoting private investment in clean technology
- a poor investment, likely to achieve only a 6% return
- Verb: invest
- Noun: investor
- the plan requires investing £50m over five years
- government invested heavily in the development of the road network
- the business needs to attract more investors
- investor confidence is currently high
involvement
ɪnˈvɒlvmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
someone’s involvement in an activity
is the fact of their taking part in
it
Noun uncount
- involvement in something
- it’s been criticised for its involvement in politics
- he denied any involvement in the robbery
- her continued involvement is due to her strong belief in the project
- the prince's involvement had helped bring in more volunteers to the organisation
- Verb: involve
- Adjective: involved
- you shouldn’t involve yourself in these matters
- after retirement, I involved myself in a number of projects
- I got involved in research while at university
- there are lots of after-school clubs, so there’s no excuse not to get involved
inward
ˈɪnwə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
inward actions or movements are
directed towards the centre of
something. Inward investment is
investment made in one country by
people and companies from other
countries
Adjective
- inward migration
- inward investment
- Over that period, inward migration to the UK fell by 42,000 to 536,00
- the government lowered taxes in an attempt to attract inward investment
isolated
ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
an isolated place does not have other
houses, towns, or cities nearby
Adjective
- the camp site was quite isolated
- living in an isolated rural area
- Hawk has explored some of the most remote and isolated places in the world
- we rented an isolated farmhouse in Normandy
- Noun: isolation
- in isolation
- their culture survived, because they lived in relative isolation
- railways and telegraphs broke down the geographical isolation
itchy
ˈɪtʃi
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if part of your body feels itchy, it
is uncomfortable and you want to
scratch your skin to stop it feeling
like that
Adjective
- an itchy scalp/rash
- itchy skin
- I soon felt dirty and itchy
- the rash will be itchy, but try not to scratch it
- they also had itchy skin, fever, and loss of appetite
- a sore throat, a runny nose and an itchy scalp
- Noun: itch
- Verb: itch
- Noun: itchiness
- I’ve got an itch just here, where I can’t scratch it
- his scalp wasn’t itching any more
- the itchiness should go away if you use this cream
jackpot
ˈdʒækˌpɒt
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
the jackpot is the biggest amount of
money that can be won in a single game
or lottery. You can say that someone
has hit the jackpot when they are
suddenly very lucky or
successful
Noun
- win the jackpot
- hit the jackpot
- the jackpot is 30 million euros
- a ticket matching all six numbers won the jackpot
- there was no winner for this week's $13 million jackpot
- the largest individual jackpot ever won on the UK lottery was over £22m
- he hit the jackpot when he got that job
- I seem to have hit the jackpot!
jail
dʒeɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
a jail is a building where prisoners
live until they are released at the
end of their punishment
Noun
- send someone to jail
- be in jail
- a jail sentence
- the judge sent him to jail for four years
- she’s been in jail since January
- he got out of jail last week
- a jail sentence of five years
- Verb: jail
- Noun: jailer
- he was jailed for five years
- the hijacker was jailed by Cuban authorities
- he threatened to jail the union leader if the strike did not end
- the jailer slammed the door and locked it
jail
dʒeɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to jail someone means to send them to
prison and keep them there for a
length of time that has been decided
by a judge in a court
Verb
- the fall in crime stems from jailing more people
- he was jailed for five years
- the hijacker was jailed by Cuban authorities
- he threatened to jail the union leader if the strike did not end
- Noun: jail
- Noun: jailer
- send someone to jail
- be in jail
- a jail sentence
- the judge sent him to jail for four years
- she’s been in jail since January
- he got out of jail last week
- a jail sentence of five years
- the jailer slammed the door and locked it
jealousy
ˈdʒeləsi
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
jealousy is the feeling of anger you
have when someone you like or love
seems to be starting a close
relationship with someone else
Noun uncount
- she was overcome with jealousy and fear
- the crime was fuelled by jealousy
- he felt no jealousy when he saw them together
- Lisa’s jealousy was aroused by Patrick’s behaviour towards Jennifer
- Adjective: jealous
- Adverb: jealously
- be jealous of someone
- a jealous husband
- Dan was jealous of his sister and her friends
- he watched her jealously as she walked through the restaurant
join in
ˈdʒɔɪn ˌɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if you join in an activity that other
people are doing, you start to take
part in it along with the others
Phrasal verb
- we joined in the fun
- come and join in!
- everyone joined in the celebrations
- when the dancing started, she was too shy to join in
joy
dʒɔɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
joy is great happiness
Noun uncount
- I never feel joy about anything any more
- for Gordon, the evening was sheer joy
- come and experience the joy of singing in a choir
- I felt a great joy when I heard the news
- Adjective: joyful
- Adverb: joyfully
- Adjective: joyous
- staying there was a unique and joyful experience
- the ballet was a joyful celebration of life
- we chatted joyfully all evening
- he was joyfully welcomed home by his mother
- it was a joyous occasion
- they burst into joyous laughter
judge
dʒʌdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
in some sports, such as diving,
gymnastics, or boxing, judges are
people who decide how many points a
competitor should receive
Noun
- the judges made some really dubious decisions
- judges award points for technique
- in boxing, points are awarded by three corner judges
- the judges gave him maximum points for his second dive
judgement
ˈdʒʌdʒmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
your judgement is your opinion about
the quality of something. If you pass
judgement on something, you say
publicly what your opinion is
Noun
- pass judgement (on something)
- make a judgement
- in my judgement
- he came to the restaurant to pass judgement on the food
- in my judgement, two hours practice a day is not enough
- just use your own judgement to decide whether to buy it or not
- he showed very poor judgement in his choice of partner
- it’s too soon to make a judgement about the school
- it’s a judgement call (a decision which you have to make yourself using your judgement because there is no right or wrong way to decide)
- Adjective: judgemental
- I’m tired of listening to all these judgemental parents (parents who are very quick to make critical comments)
junior
ˈdʒuːniə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
in some professions and
organisations, the people who are just
starting their careers or who have the
lowest rank are called juniors because
they do not have much experience and
cannot do the most important
tasks
Noun
- he’s still a junior in the firm
- the office junior
keen
kiːn
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
you use keen to emphasise the way
someone’s senses work very well. For
example, someone who has keen eyesight
can see very well, and a keen observer
is someone who notices the important
things about what they are watching
and who understands them very well
Adjective
- a keen observer of human behaviour
- he had a keen eye for small details
- dogs have a keen sense of smell
- a successful pilot must have keen eyesight
- Adverb: keenly
- Noun: keenness
- they were keenly aware of the danger that lay ahead
- he was keenly observant of everything that happened in the school
- he sat up, listening keenly to the voices in the next room
- they followed the news with the greatest keenness
keep up
ˈkiːp ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you keep something up, you carry
on doing it for a certain length of
time
Phrasal verb
- he was doing handstands and kept it up for half an hour
- I can’t keep this up any longer
- you’re doing fine, Tom. Keep it up!
- how long do you think you can keep this pretence up?
keep up (with)
ˈkiːp ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
if you keep up with other people, you
move at the same speed as them or make
the same amount of progress as they do
Phrasal verb
- keep up with someone
- I couldn’t keep up with the others in the class
- she was walking quickly, and I was struggling to keep up
- come on – try to keep up!
- she moved to a different class where it was easier to keep up
- we slowed the pace so that Jeff could keep up with us
kidney
ˈkɪdni
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your kidneys are the two organs in
your body which filter your blood and
produce urine
Noun
- suffering from kidney failure
- a kidney transplant (when a kidney from one person’s body is put into another persons’s body to replace a kidney that has failed)
- in old age, the kidneys become generally less efficient
knitting
ˈnɪtɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
knitting is making things from wool,
using two long needles. Knitting is
also the thing that is being
made
Noun
- I find knitting very relaxing
- she put her knitting down and stood up
- I like sewing and knitting
- she was doing her knitting while she spoke
- he’s knitted loads of scarves
- we’ll sort out the knitting tomorrow morning
- Verb: knit
- Adjective: knitted
- I’m going to knit a scarf for Sally
- this morning I learnt how to knit a sock from the toe up
- a pair of knitted gloves
knock down
nɒk ˈdaʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
to knock down a building means to
destroy it. A more formal word is
demolish
Phrasal verb
- they thought the Eiffel Tower was so ugly it should be knocked down
- my old school is going to be knocked down
- they’re knocking down some of the old high-rise blocks
- I think it’s time they knocked it down
knock out
ˌnɒk ˈaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
to knock someone out means to make
them unconscious by hitting them. To
knock yourself out means to have an
accident and become unconscious
Phrasal verb
- she knocked herself out when she fell
- a blow to the head which knocked him out
- he was knocked out in the second round of the fight
- some tablets which really knocked me out (made me feel very tired)
- Adjective: knockout
- Noun: knockout
- in the fifth round, Ali landed a knockout punch (a punch that knocked out his opponent)
- his drink contained knockout drops (a drug that would make him fall asleep)
- Moore was beaten by a knockout in four rounds
labour
ˈleɪbə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
labour is the process of giving birth
to a baby. When this is happening, you
can say that the mother is in labour,
or has gone into labour
Noun uncount
- go into labour
- be in labour
- a long labour
- labour pains
- she was in labour for seven hours
- you need to ring the doctor and say I’ve gone into labour
- her labour pains started that night
- you’ll want pain relief, especially if it’s a long labour
labour
ˈleɪbə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
labour is very hard work. Hard labour
is very hard work that someone is made
to do as part of their
punishment
Noun uncount
- prisoners were made to do hard labour
- sentenced to five years with hard labour
- a labour camp (a special prison where prisoners have to do hard labour)
land
lænd
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if something lands on a surface or
lands on you, it falls there from
above
Verb
- a wasp landed on my arm
- the bottle slipped out of his hand and smashed when it landed on the floor
- toast always lands with the buttered side down
- he fell out of the tree and landed on his shoulder
landlord
ˈlæn(d)ˌlɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
a landlord is a man who owns a house
or flat that other people pay to live
in
Noun
- the landlord wanted to put up the rent
- our landlord promised to get the boiler repaired
- the landlord refused to return our deposit
- her landlord owned several houses in the same street
landmark
ˈlæn(d)ˌmɑː(r)k
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a landmark is a famous building or
monument that a lot of people
recognise. A landmark is also an event
that stands out as being very
significant
Noun
- one of the city’s most famous landmarks
- the Statue of Liberty and other well-known landmarks
- the revolution was a landmark in French history
- this is a landmark decision by the court
- after 1945, many of its historic landmarks were restored
landscape
ˈlæn(d)ˌskeɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
the landscape is the view that you
can see when you are in the country,
away from towns and buildings. A
landscape is also a painting or
photograph of the countryside
Noun
- a beautiful landscape
- the natural landscape and setting was beautiful
- he preferred painting portraits to landscapes
- a rocky and windswept landscape
launch
lɔːntʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you launch a new product, book,
website, etc, you let a lot of people
know that it is starting to exist so
that they can buy it or make use of
it
Verb
- launch something onto the market
- the company launched two new models last year
- they launched a new range of laptops
- Noun: launch
- a product/book launch
- an official launch
- a successful launch
- 60 journalists turned up for the book launch
- the successful launch of the Royal website
laundry
ˈlɔːndri
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
laundry is clothes, sheets, towels
etc that have been used and need to be
washed, or that have just been
washed
Noun singular
- do the laundry
- I have my laundry done once a week
- leave your dirty laundry in the bathroom
- the van collects the laundry every Monday and brings it back on Wednesdays
- washing laundry in hot water really does not get your clothes any cleaner
- the other laundry basket is for dirty clothes to be washed
- Verb: launder
- freshly laundered shirts
- launder your work clothes separately from your bedding
leaflet
ˈliːflət
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a leaflet is a piece of paper or a
small book containing information
about something
Noun
- a leaflet about the local gym
- a tourist information leaflet
- a leaflet with instructions about how to apply for a grant
- the leaflet gives details about the local bus routes
- these leaflets are available from local post offices
- in July, over 350,000 leaflets were distributed
leak
liːk
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
a leak is a small hole in a container
or pipe that allows liquid or gas to
escape
Noun
- spring a leak
- I realised the kettle had a leak
- engineers found a leak in the oil tank
- our dishwasher has sprung a leak (has suddenly developed a leak)
- the road was closed because of a gas leak
- there’s a leak in the hot water tank
- Verb: leak
- Noun: leakage
- the radiator is leaking
- water was leaking out through the broken pipe
- everyone could smell that gas was leaking
- the school had to close because of a nearby leakage of dangerous chemicals
leak
liːk
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
if something leaks, liquid or gas can
escape from it when it is not supposed
to. If liquid or gas is leaking, it is
escaping from somewhere when it is not
supposed to
Verb
- there was a crack in one of the roof tiles and it started leaking
- the radiator is leaking
- the shower tray has been leaking for weeks
- water was leaking out through the broken pipe
- everyone could smell that gas was leaking
- Noun: leak
- Noun: leakage
- spring a leak
- engineers found a leak in the oil tank
- our dishwasher has sprung a leak (has suddenly developed a leak)
- the road was closed because of a gas leak
- the school had to close because of a nearby leakage of dangerous chemicals
- there’s a leak in the hot water tank
leak
liːk
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
if a container has a leak, it has a
small hole which allows the liquid
inside to flow away
Noun
- a leak in something
- spring a leak
- there’s a leak in the hot water tank
- engineers found a leak in the oil tank
- our dishwasher has sprung a leak (has suddenly developed a leak)
- the road was closed because of a gas leak
- Verb: leak
- Noun: leakage
- the radiator is leaking
- water was leaking out through the broken pipe
- everyone could smell that gas was leaking
- the school had to close because of a nearby leakage of dangerous chemicals
leap up
ˈliːp ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
if you leap up, you get up very
suddenly and quickly from where you
are sitting
Phrasal verb
- male guests would leap up and kiss the bride
- Katie leapt up to answer the door
- he leapt up from his bench when the first goal was scored
leap up
ˈliːp ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you leap up, you get up from a
chair or from the ground very quickly
and energetically
Phrasal verb
- she leapt up and ran to the phone
- the children leapt up when they heard their uncle’s voice
- some of the audience were leaping up and shouting “Bravo!”
leave
liːv
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
if you leave money, property, or
possessions to someone, you give
official instructions that they should
have the money, property, or
possessions after you die
Verb
- leave someone something
- leave something to someone
- her parents had left everything they owned to the RSPCA
- he uncle left her a house and £20,000
- I intend to leave most of my property to charity
leave out
ˈliːv ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you leave someone or something out
of an activity or group, you do not
include them in it
Phrasal verb
- leave someone/something out of something
- I feel a bit left out / we tried not to leave anyone out / she left out a few important details / a few names had been left out
legend
ˈledʒ(ə)nd
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
a legend is a very old story about
people and events in the past that is
probably not true
Noun
- according to legend, the bones of a saint are buried there
- ancient Greek legends
- the legend of Robin Hood
- some local legends
- legend has it that his ghost still appears here twice a year
- Adjective: legendary
- a legendary king of Sparta
- the legendary story of the founding of Rome
leisure
ˈleʒə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
leisure is time when people are not
working and can do activities that
they enjoy
Noun uncount
- leisure time
- leisure pursuits/activities
- a leisure centre/complex/facility
- provision of better leisure facilities
- my leisure time was spent reading crime novels
- leisure pursuits such as golf or tennis
- leisure facilities here include a gym and a swimming pool
lengthy
ˈleŋθi
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if something is lengthy, it takes a
long time, and often feels as though
it is taking longer than you would
like it to take
Adjective
- lengthy speeches
- a lengthy discussion
- lengthy negotiations
- a fairly lengthy report
- some lengthy delays
- a lengthy period of economic recession
let down
ˈlet ˌdaʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if someone lets you down, they don’t
do something that they were meant to
do, and this causes a problem for you.
When this happens, you can say that
you feel let down
Adjective
- the incident left him feeling let down and upset
- despite what she said, she felt terribly let down
- Phrasal verb: let down
- I’m determined not to let you down
- it wasn’t the first time that she had been let down by her brother
lethal
ˈliːθl
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
something that is lethal can kill
someone
Adjective
- some mushrooms can be lethal
- colder temperatures can also prove lethal for the elderly
- every gun is a lethal weapon
- he suffered a lethal blow to the head
- a lethal dose of morphine
- a lethal cocktail (mixture) of alcohol and pills
- Adverb: lethally
- the edge of the knife was lethally sharp
- he was lethally wounded and died the following day
liberty
lɪbə(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
liberty is the freedom to do what you
want without being controlled by the
authorities
Noun uncount
- individual/personal liberty
- human liberty
- basic liberty
- religous liberty
- the new law was seen as a threat to personal liberty
- taking action to protect religious liberty
- loss of liberty may be necessary in extreme circumstances
- a campaign to bring about more liberty and democracy in other areas of social life
lid
lɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
a lid is a cover for a
container
Noun
- close/open a lid
- put a lid on something
- you need a flat lid to help turn the omelette over
- put a lid on the pan
- keep the lid on while the potatoes are cooking
- I lifted the lid
- a tight-fitting lid
- a saucepan lid
- the dustbin lid
life expectancy
ˌlaɪf ɪkˈspektənsi
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
your life expectancy is the number of
years you can reasonably expect to be
alive
Noun
- life expectancy in the UK for women is now over 82 years
- life expectancy rose throughout the 20th century but might now drop
- the inhabitants of Liechtenstein have the longest life expectancy in Europe
- lower than average life expectancy
- the life expectancy of a horse is 25 to 30 years
lift
lɪft
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
to lift something means to move it
upwards using your hands and arms
Verb
- he can lift 50 kilos
- keep your back straight when you’re lifting something heavy
- she leant forward and lifted the rock from the ground
- his main hobby is lifting weights (lifting heavy weights as a sport)
- can you lift the table so I can slide the carpet underneath?
lift
lɪft
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you get a lift somewhere, someone
takes you there in their car
Noun
- a lift to school/work/the shops
- give/offer someone a lift
- can you give me a lift home?
- he offered us a lift to the station
- I got a lift as far as the end of the road
ligament
ˈlɪɡəmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
a ligament is a strong band of muscle
in your body that connects your bones
and keeps your organs in the right
place
Noun
- she suffered serious knee ligament damage in the accident
- if you don't warm up first you can easily pull a muscle or tear a ligament
- luckily, there was no ligament damage
- his ligament injury will take at least two more weeks to heal
light
laɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if someone asks you for a light, they
are asking you for a match or a
cigarette lighter because they don’t
have one but they want to start
smoking a cigarette
Noun
- give someone a light
- ask someone for a light
- have you got a light?
- here, let me give you a light
- can anyone here give me a light?
- he came over to ask me for a light
link
lɪŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
a link between things is a strong
connection between them, often because
one of them is the cause of the
other
Noun
- a link between things
- a direct link
- a well-established link between poor reading skills and crime
- these recordings offer a direct link with the past
- this book establishes the link between economics and morality
- a link exists between the two theories
- Verb: link
- Noun: linkage
- these five families were closely linked
- farming is directly linked to weather and climate
- there is a close linkage between these subjects
- he explored linkages between political science and Russian studies
literacy
ˈlɪt(ə)rəsi
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
literacy is the basic ability to be
able to read and write. You can also
use literacy about other skills, for
example financial literacy is knowing
how to deal with your money sensibly,
and computer literacy is the ability
to use a computer
Noun uncount
- financial/computer/scientific literacy
- adult literacy
- literacy rates
- literacy skills
- we need to improve adult literacy rates (increase the number of adults who can read and write)
- financial literacy should be taught in schools
- they had basic literacy and numeracy (they could read and write and do basic arithmetic)
- you should help your children with their literacy skills
- Antonym Noun: illiteracy
- Adjective: literate
- Antonym Adjective: illiterate
- computer literate
- targets for reducing poverty, disease, hunger, and illiteracy
- if you’re not computer literate you won’t get on the course
- he was barely literate when he left school
- most of the population was illiterate in the 12th century (most people could not read or write)
live on
lɪv ɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you can live on the money you
earn, you have enough money for the
most important things you need,
although maybe not enough for extra
things. If you can’t live on the money
you earn, you do not have enough money
even for the most basic things
Verb
- live on your salary/wages/pension
- her pension was just enough to live on
- can you live on £200 a week?
- Noun: living
- earn a living
- make a living
- he earns a good living as a taxi driver
liver
ˈlɪvə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your liver is an organ in your body
that cleans your blood
Noun
- cancer of the liver
- cirrhosis of the liver (a serious disease caused by drinking too much alcohol)
- without a liver transplant those with liver failure will die (they need a healthy liver from someone else’s body to replace their own liver)
lock
lɒk
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to lock a door means to close it with
a key so that no one can open it
unless they have a key. To lock
someone somewhere means to put them in
a room or cell and lock the door so
that they cannot get out. If someone
is locked in, they cannot get out of
somewhere because a door is locked and
they do not have a key
Verb
- lock someone in (somewhere)
- lock someone up
- prisoners are locked in their cells 22 hours a day
- the door swung shut and we were locked in
- Max was locked inside his shed
- if they find you guilty, they’ll lock you up for life (keep you in prison for the rest of your life)
look down on
lʊk ˈdaʊn ɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to look down on someone means to have
a very bad opinion of them and think
they are worse than you
Phrasal verb
- cheats are looked down on in this school
- she looks down on people with less money than herself
- my mother always looked down on the neighbours because they didn't have a car
lower
ˈləʊə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
if you lower something somewhere, you
carefully let it go from a higher
position downwards, using a rope or
something else to make sure it does
not go too fast and break
Verb
- carefully/slowly lower something (to/into something)
- the woodcutter was lowered to the ground
- the boat was carefully lowered into the river
- they lowered the coffin into the grave
loyalty
ˈlɔɪəlti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
if someone shows loyalty, they
support someone or something reliably
and without changing
Noun uncount
- fierce/great loyalty
- blind loyalty
- inspire loyalty
- show loyalty
- demand/expect loyalty
- the servants showed great loyalty even when times were difficult
- workers had a fierce loyalty to each other
- he inspires extraordinary loyalty among his staff
- he demanded unquestioning loyalty in return for his support
- Adjective: loyal
- Adverb: loyally
- fiercely loyal
- loyal support
- remain loyal (to someone)
- only a few remained loyal to the prime minister
- you can be sure of our loyal support
- 25 years’ loyal service to the company
- despite the setbacks, they loyally supported him
- the new government loyally accepted the American proposals
lump
lʌmp
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
a lump of something is a small solid
piece of it, usually with an irregular
shape
Noun
- a lump of silver rolled out
- a lump of coal
- a solid lump of concrete
- a huge purple lump on his chest
- a huge lump of clay
- go to the doctor if you find a lump
- Adjective: lumpy
- a lumpy mattress
- lumpy potatoes
lung
lʌŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your lungs are the two organs in your
chest that fill with air when you
breathe and that process the air to
make oxygen for your blood
Noun
- lung cancer
- after a minute under water my lungs were bursting
- empty your lungs and breathe deeply in through your nose
- this type of training is good for the heart and lungs
mad
mæd
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
if you go mad, you behave in a wild
and uncontrolled way, doing things you
do not normally let yourself do
Adjective
- let’s go mad and order some champagne
- the kids went mad with excitement when they heard you were coming
- here’s £200 for your birthday, but don’t go mad with it
- Adverb: madly
- he grinned madly at me
- she ran madly round the room shouting “Yes, yes, yes!”
maid
meɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a maid is a woman who works for a
hotel or for a private family, doing
jobs like cleaning and washing
clothes
Noun
- a maid comes in to sort out my flat every day
- the hotel employed 15 cooks and 25 maids
- the maid tapped on the door before coming in
maintain
meɪnˈteɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
to maintain a piece of machinery
means to keep it in good working order
by checking it regularly and mending
it as soon as anything goes wrong with
it
Verb
- a different company was responsible for maintaining the school heating system
- if you don’t maintain your car properly, it will cost you a lot in the future
- problems were caused by failure to maintain the drainage system
- Noun: maintenance
- routine/regular maintenance
- car maintenance classes
- preventive maintenance measures (maintenance that is meant to stop problems developing)
make ends meet
meɪk endz miːt
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if it’s difficult for you to make
ends meet, you don’t have enough money
to pay for the things that you
regularly have to pay for, such as
rent, food, heating etc.
Phrase
- I don’t know how people can make ends meet
- she was barely making ends meet
- people are struggling to make ends meet
- to make ends meet, he took on a job in a bar six nights a week
- many couples rely on two incomes to make ends meet
make up
ˈmeɪk ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you make something up, for example
a story or an excuse, you create a
story that isn’t true in order to make
people believe something that you want
them to think
Phrasal verb
- make up an excuse/story
- the story he made up was really convincing
- Adjective: made-up
- another made-up excuse
- I used a made-up name to register for the website
management
ˈmænɪdʒmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
management is the group of senior
people in an organization who are
responsible for controlling and
organizing it, and for supervising the
more junior people
Noun uncount
- senior/middle management
- cutting back on a layer of middle management
- management were opposed to the pay rise
- Noun: manager Verb: manage
- a senior/top manager
- senior managers got an even bigger bonus
- my manager has recommended me for a promotion
market research
ˌmɑː(r)kɪt rɪˈsɜː(r)tʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
market research is the collection of
information from ordinary people about
what they need and like so that
companies can design products that
people will want to buy
Noun
- do/carry out market research
- market research questionnaire
- a market research survey
- can you help with some market research we’re doing?
- Noun: market researcher
- many people don’t tell the truth to market researchers
- I was stoppped in the street by a market researcher
marquee
mɑː(r)ˈkiː
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
a marquee is a large tent that you
use for a party outdoors
Noun
- hire/rent a marquee
- put up/erect a marquee
- they set up a marquee in the garden
- we’re going to hire a marquee
- the reception was held in a marquee on the lawn
- sitting under a large marquee
mask
mɑːsk
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
a mask is something that covers part
or all of someone’s face. People
sometimes wear decorative masks at a
party or celebration. Robbers
sometimes wear masks so that no one
will be able to see their faces and
recognise them later
Noun
- she wore a gold mask with a white nose and lips
- two robbers entered the store wearing masks
- the children wore carnival masks and costumes
- I’m making a mask for tomorrow’s party
- Adjective: masked
- three masked men burst into the bank
- masked gunmen opened fire on the police
- a masked ball (a big social occasion where people dance, and where everyone wears a mask)
mass
mæs
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
mass actions, events, or activities
involve a large number of people at
the same time
Adjective
- mass unemployment
- mass hysteria
- mass destruction/murder/extinction
- mass protest/demonstration
- mass media
- the 1930s was a decade of mass unemployment
- weapons of mass destruction (weapons that can kill a lot of people at one time)
- mass demonstrations in the capital
- a mass murderer (a murderer who has killed a lot of people)
- 20th century culture was shaped by the mass media
- Noun: mass
- a mass of people/things
- the masses
- laws which aim to give the mass of people a better life
- an appeal to the mass of the population
- bringing education to the masses
master class
ˈmɑːstə(r) klɑːs
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
a master class is a lesson in music
or a sport, given by someone who has
been very successful and who is very
famous
Noun
- a master class with a top Russian fencer
- a violin master class
- she was invited to attend a master class
- a master class given by a famous pianist
- several of these master classes were televised
- she teaches master classes in acting and singing
matter
ˈmætə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
a matter is a problem or an issue
that people cannot agree about
Noun
- they hope the matter can be settled quickly
- we’ll discuss the matter at our meeting tomorrow
- the matter was resolved when the company agreed to a pay rise
meant
ment
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if something was meant to happen or
meant to be a particular thing, it
happened or it was that thing on
purpose and not by accident
Adjective
- be meant to do something
- be meant to be something
- the sugar is meant to be added just before the end of the cooking time
- it was meant to make you laugh
- the film was meant to be a serious look at life in the Arctic
- Verb: mean
- mean to do something
- mean something to be something
- I didn’t mean to to hurt you
- she meant it to be a surprise
- I can’t believe you meant to be so rude to your father
measure
ˈmeʒə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
measures are actions taken by a
government or organisation to help
solve a problem
Noun
- we need to implement a range of measures
- the government has promised to take measures to tackle crime
- the company is introducing new safety measures
- tough new measures to combat speeding
- such extreme measures were not necessary
- the measure was opposed by the business community
melt
melt
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if something melts or if you melt it,
it becomes soft or turns to liquid
after being frozen or hard
Verb
- melt the chocolate and mix in the raisins
- the snow had all melted by the morning
- my ice-cream’s melting!
- melt the butter in a small saucepan
- Adjective: melted
- brush the top with melted butter
- put the melted chocolate in a bowl
membership
ˈmembə(r)ʃɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
membership is the fact of being a
member of a club or other
organisation
Noun
- membership of something
- he took out gym membership in January
- the annual membership subscription is £100
- membership costs £20 month
- I decided not to renew my membership for next year
- he resigned his membership in 2013
- life membership of the golf club (permanent membership that you don’t need to renew)
- membership is available to anyone over the age of 21
- I forgot to pay my membership fee
- Noun: member
- a member of something
- I’ve been a member of the tennis club since 2008
- the committee consists of ten elected members
- the UN has 193 member nations (countries that are members of the UN)
mend
mend
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
if you mend something that is broken
or damaged, you do something to it to
return it to the state it was in
before it became broken or damaged
Verb
- he tried to mend the rip in his trousers
- I need to mend my glasses
- can you take my shoes in to be mended?
- she used to mend her own clothes when she had no money
menial
ˈmiːnɪəl
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
menial jobs or tasks are not very
difficult, do not require any skill,
and the people who do them have very
low status
Adjective
- a menial job/task/work/labour/position
- a menial job in the hotel kitchen
- perform menial household chores
merge
mɜː(r)dʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
when two separate organisations
merge, they come together to form one
larger organisation
Verb
- merge with something
- merge something into something
- we decided to merge with another company
- they’re planning to merge with an American bank
- the two departments merged a year later
- he became chairman of the merged business
- both railways were eventually merged into London Underground
- the two companies had fully merged by June 2014
- Noun: merger
- a merger between the two companies
- people who aren’t in favour of the proposed merger
- multi-billion dollar corporate mergers
- this led to the eventual merger of the two clubs as "Athletic Club" in 1903
mild
maɪld
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
something that is mild is not very
strong or extreme
Adjective
- people who suffer from mild depression
- you might feel a mild burning sensation
- winters here are mild (they do not get very cold)
- he suffered a mild heart attack
- Adverb: mildly
- he looked mildly surprised by the question (surprised, but not extremely surprised)
miles
maɪlz
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
if you say that somewhere is miles
away, you mean it is a very long way
away
Noun plural
- you’ll never get there in time. It’s miles away
- I lost all my friends when I was six, and we moved to a new house that was miles away
- I’m not walking home from here. It’s miles!
miles
maɪlz
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if you say that somewhere is miles
away, or that something travels miles,
you mean it is a very long way away or
that it travels a very long way
Noun plural
- I hit the ball and it went miles off to the left
- you’ll never get there in time. It’s miles away
- I lost all my friends when I was six and we moved to a new house that was miles away
- I’m not walking home from here. It’s miles!
military
ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
military means relating to the army
and other armed forces of a
country
Adjective
- military personnel/leaders/forces
- military equipment
- military action/campaign/operation/exercise/conflict/intervention
- military base
- military aid
- military spending reached $700 billion
- an exhibition of old military vehicles
- offensive military operations
- the hotel was turned into a military base
- he was a great military commander
- serving military officers
- Noun: military
- he joined the military when he was just 17
- the military launched the attack after dark
military
ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
military means relating to the army
and other armed forces of a
country
Adjective
- military personnel/leaders/forces
- military equipment
- military action/campaign/operation/exercise/conflict/intervention
- military base
- military aid
- an exhibition of old military vehicles
- offensive military operations
- the hotel was turned into a military base
- he was a great military commander
- serving military officers
- Noun: military
- he joined the military when he was just 17
- the military launched the attack after dark
military
ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
military means relating to the army
and other armed forces of a
country
Adjective
- military personnel/leaders/forces
- military equipment
- military action/campaign/operation/exercise/conflict/intervention
- military base
- military aid
- military spending reached $700 billion
- an exhibition of old military vehicles
- offensive military operations
- the hotel was turned into a military base
- he was a great military commander
- serving military officers
- Noun: military
- join the military
- he joined the military as soon as the war started
- the British military denied the report
- the Turkish military evacuated the region
minimal
ˈmɪnɪm(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
something that is minimal uses or
involves the smallest amount possible
of something
Adjective
- I’d had only a minimal amount of training
- the medicine had only a minimal effect
- we were given minimal amounts of food
- the fees they charge are minimal
- minimal art
- Adverb: minimally
- office routine was minimally affected during the building works
- minimally invasive heart surgery (an operation on someone’s heart that involves the least possible damage to the rest of the body)
misleading
mɪsˈliːdɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
something that is misleading gives
you a wrong impression and makes you
believe something that is not
true
Adjective
- seriously/highly/wildly misleading
- deliberately misleading
- the story was rather misleading
- these assertions are highly misleading
- the report included misleading graphs and exaggerated statistics
- it accuses manufacturers of being deliberately misleading
- dishonest and misleading blog posts
- they ruled that the article was neither untrue nor misleading
- Verb: mislead
- mislead someone about something
- mislead someone into thinking something
- we were misled by the advertisement into thinking that the second week would be free
- the company denies that it has misled customers
- don’t be misled by fancy brochures
- she deliberately misled us into believeing she really owned the house
misunderstand
ˌmɪsʌndə(r)ˈstænd
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you misunderstand something, you
form an impression of it that is wrong
or mistaken
Verb
- I misunderstood the doctor’s instructions
- don’t misunderstand me – I didn’t mean it was wrong
- Noun: misunderstanding Adjective: misunderstood
- a total/complete/slight/common/genuine misunderstanding
- much misunderstood
- it was all a complete misunderstanding
- cultural misunderstandings
- Powell was a much misunderstood politician
misunderstanding
ˌmɪsʌndə(r)ˈstændɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a misunderstanding is a wrong or
mistaken idea about something
Noun
- a total/complete/slight/common/genuine misunderstanding
- it was all a complete misunderstanding
- cultural misunderstandings
- I can see how this misunderstanding arose
- I'm sorry if there was any misunderstanding regarding what I said
- we have changed the wording to avoid any misunderstanding
- Verb: misunderstand
- Adjective: misunderstood
- I misunderstood the doctor’s instructions
- don’t misunderstand me – I didn’t mean it was wrong
- Powell was a much misunderstood politician
mix
mɪks
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
to mix with people means to meet them
socially and talk to them
Verb
- you might refuse to mix with people you used to know
- teachers mixed with students at the end-of-year party
- Jenny was very shy and didn’t mix easily
- Noun: mixer
- Jack was a good mixer and put everyone at their ease
mix-up
ˈmɪksʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
a mix-up is a mistake that is the
result of confusion in the way
something has been arranged
Noun
- a mix-up over something
- a mix-up between things
- I’m afraid there’s been some kind of mix-up in our system
- our bags got lost due to a mix-up at the airport
- a mix-up over dates
- I was late because of a mix-up in my diary
- a mix-up between different departments
- the mix-up was the result of an administrative error
- sorry about the mix-up with the car keys
- Phrasal verb: mix up
- the two parcels got mixed up at the sorting office
- my file had been mixed up with another patient’s
moan
məʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a moan is a complaint about
something
Noun
- have a moan
- we meet up and have a moan about things
- I don’t want to listen to your moans!
- Verb: moan
- she’s always moaning about the buses
- there’s no point moaning; it won’t change anything
moan
məʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you moan about someone or
something, you complain about them in
a very unhappy way
Verb
- moan about someone/something
- she’s always moaning about the buses
- there’s no point moaning; it won’t change anything
- don’t be such a moaning Minnie (someone who is annoying because they are always complaining)
- “I hate you! You never let me stay out late,” he moaned
- Noun: moaner
- Noun: moan
- don’t be such a moaner
- he’s one of the biggest moaners I know
- I don’t want to listen to your moans!
- he had a moan about the referee after the match
moan
məʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if you moan about someone or
something, you complain about them in
a very unhappy way
Verb
- moan about someone/something
- they never moan or look for people to blame
- stop moaning!
- everyone moaned about the food
- Noun: moan
- Noun: moaner
- I don’t want to listen to your moans!
- he had a moan about the referee after the match
- don’t be such a moaner
- he’s one of the biggest moaners I know
moan
məʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you moan about someone or
something, you complain about them in
a very unhappy way
Verb
- moan about someone/something
- she’s always moaning about the buses
- there’s no point moaning; it won’t change anything
- don’t be such a moaning Minnie (someone who is annoying because they are always complaining)
- “I hate you! You never let me stay out late” he moaned
- Noun: moaner
- Noun: moan
- don’t be such a moaner
- he’s one of the biggest moaners I know
- I don’t want to listen to your moans!
- he had a moan about the referee after the match
moral
ˈmɒrəl
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
moral issues, choices, or beliefs are
based on ideas of what is right and
wrong
Adjective
- a deep psychological need for love and moral order
- it shows children the importance of moral choices
- suicide is a moral issue
- you have a moral obligation to do something
- a moral duty
- he has very high moral standards
- a set of moral values
- a woman of strict moral principles
- a highly moral individual who loves his fellow man
- no moral judgement can decide the value of life
- Noun: morality
- Adverb: morally
- Antonyms – Adjective: immoral
- Noun: immorality
- is morality a human invention?
- what role does morality play in formulating law?
- any action that is not morally wrong must be morally right
- the need to distinguish between what is morally acceptable and what is legal
- she believes that using food crops as fuel is immoral
- he’d been accused of illegal and immoral behaviour
- an increase in violence and immorality
mortality
mɔː(r)ˈtæləti
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
mortality is the number of people who
die in a particular group, at a
particular age, in a particular place,
or in a particular period of
time
Noun uncount
- infant/child mortality
- mortality rates
- child mortality rates
- we are seeing reduced mortality from cancer
- rising mortality among men in Eastern Europe
- studies have shown those who cycle to have a significantly lower mortality rate
- married people face a lower mortality risk than unmarried people
mortality
mɔː(r)ˈtæləti
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
mortality is the number of people who
die in a particular group, at a
particular age, in a particular place,
or in a particular period of
time
Noun uncount
- infant/child mortality
- mortality rates
- child mortality rates
- we are seeing reduced mortality from cancer
- rising mortality among men in Eastern Europe
- studies have shown those who cycle to have a significantly lower mortality rate
- married people face a lower mortality risk than unmarried people
move on
muːv ˈɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
if you move on, you change the topic
of what you are writing or talking
about
Phrasal verb
- move on to something
- let’s move on to the next question
- moving on to my conclusion
- before I move on, are there any questions?
muddy
ˈmʌdi
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if something is muddy, it is covered
in mud
Adjective
- the camp site was really muddy
- muddy boots
- my clothes had got muddy
- the floor was all muddy
- Noun: mud
- the mud was really deep
- wash the mud off your boots before you come in
myth
mɪθ
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
a myth is a story that has existed
for a long time, which is probably not
true, but which people like to
believe, often because it explains
something about the world
Noun
- a popular myth
- perpetuate a myth
- the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks
- learning the piano is relatively easy, contrary to popular myth (what most people believe)
- there are numerous myths concerning the origin of the castle
- a myth that explains why the sea is salty
- Adjective: mythical
- Noun: mythology
- Adjective: mythological
- popular mythology
- classical/Greek/Celtic mythology
- Hermes is the messenger god of classical mythology
- the power of ancient mythology
- paintings of mythological scenes
mythical
ˈmɪθɪk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
something that is mythical is not
true or does not exist, but is the
subject of stories and legends and
feels real to many people
Adjective
- a mythical beast/figure/creature
- a mythical kingdom/place/island
- ancient Celtic legend holds that the mythical figure of Arthur was at one time king of all of England
- a centaur is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a horse
- Brittia, a mythical island off the coast of Australia
- Noun: myth
- Noun: mythology
- Adjective: mythological
- popular mythology
- a popular myth
- perpetuate a myth
- classical/Greek/Celtic mythology
- the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks
- learning the piano is relatively easy, contrary to popular myth (what most people believe)
- there are numerous myths concerning the origin of the castle
- Hermes is the messenger god of classical mythology
- the power of ancient mythology
- paintings of mythological scenes
needle
ˈniːd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
a needle is a long, thin piece of
metal with a hole through the middle
of it which is used to push medicine
into people’s bodies
Noun
- disposable needles (ones that are used only once)
- a hypodermic needle (one that is pushed into the skin)
- he fainted when he saw the needle
needle
ˈniːd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a needle is a thin pointed piece of
metal that you put a thread through
and use for sewing things. A knitting
needle is a long thin pointed piece of
plastic or wood that you use for
knitting
Noun
- a needle and thread
- a sewing needle
- I couldn’t see well enough to thread a needle (put thread through the hole in the top of it)
- he could hear the clicking of the knitting needles
negligence
ˈneɡlɪdʒ(ə)ns
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
negligence is not being careful
enough, with the result that something
is damaged or someone is injured
Noun uncount
- medical/clinical/professional negligence
- criminal negligence
- gross/serious negligence
- a lawyer specialising in medical negligence cases
- he was guilty of professional negligence
- charged with gross negligence (very serious negligence)
- they’re threatening to sue him for negligence
- Adjective: negligent
- the hospital was found to be negligent
- grossly negligent
networking
ˈnetˌwɜː(r)kɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
networking is talking to a lot of
people who do a similar job to you in
order to exchange ideas and
information and to meet new people who
might be able to help you in your job
and career
Noun uncount
- social networking sites (websites where people can share information about themselves with friends)
- the course offers superb networking opportunities
- networking is about forming mutually useful relationships
- invitations to networking parties
- Verb: network
- Noun: networker
- Noun: network
- they’re out every evening, networking
- tips on how to network more effectively
- he's a brilliant networker and one key to his success is persistence
- to be a successful networker you need to be able to listen
- I filled every position through my network of contacts
niche
niːʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a niche is an opportunity to sell a
special product to a small group of
people
Noun
- she managed to exploit a niche in the market
- he spotted a niche in the fashion market
- a profitable niche that saw the company through the slump of the 1980s
- the magazine got a positive response because it filled a really specific niche
- Adjective: niche
- it’s a niche market
- a niche product
nomadic
nəʊˈmædɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if someone has a nomadic way of life,
they never stay for long in one place
but always move on to live somewhere
else very soon
Adjective
- her family is from a nomadic background
- Larry sold his home and took up a nomadic lifestyle
- she led a nomadic life, living in different countries
- nomadic peoples who survived on hunting and fishing
- Noun: nomad
- most nomads travel in groups of families called bands or tribes
- humans lived as nomads, surviving by hunting and gathering
non-stop
ˌnɒnˈstɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if something happens non-stop, it
continues all the time without a
pause
Adverb
- talk non-stop
- drive/fly non-stop
- it continued non-stop for about a week
- we flew non-stop to Chicago
- he talked non-stop all evening
- Stella’s phone has been ringing non-stop all morning
- Adjective: non-stop
- a non-stop flight
- a non-stop flight from Heathrow to Chicago
- the work was non-stop, but it was fun
non-stop
ˌnɒnˈstɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
an activity that is non-stop carries
on without a pause
Adjective
- a non-stop flight
- a non-stop flight from Heathrow to Chicago
- the work was non-stop, but it was fun
- Adverb: non-stop
- talk non-stop
- drive/fly non-stop
- we flew non-stop to Chicago
- he talked non-stop all evening
notice
ˈnəʊtɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
your notice is a formal statement
telling your employer that you are
going to leave your job
Noun
- hand in/submit/ your notice give notice
- I have to give two months’ notice before I can leave
novelty
ˈnɒv(ə)lti
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
novelty is the quality of being new
and still being interesting. If you
say that the novelty has worn off, you
mean that something has become less
interesting because you have become
very familiar with it
Noun
- be (something of) a novelty
- the novelty wears off
- after two weeks, the novelty wore off and I dreaded gong to work
- having a gas cooker was still something of a novelty
- Adjective: novel
- entirely/totally novel
- a novel approach/method/concept
- they introduced an entirely novel method of treating patients with flu
- selling on the Internet is hardly a novel concept any more
obesity
əʊˈbiːsəti
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
obesity is the serious physical
condition of someone being so heavy
that it has a dangerously bad effect
on their health
Noun uncount
- obesity rates
- childhood obesity
- the obesity epidemic
- there is an obesity epidemic in this country
- rising obesity rates are a major concern
- childhood obesity is a global health concern
- worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980
- Adjective: obese
- her mother is morbidly obese (so obese that her life is at risk)
- very often, obese patients have anxiety problems
- currently 10% of children worldwide are either overweight or obese
- none of these women is clinically obese (obese according to the medical definition of the word)
observer
əbˈzɜː(r)və(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
an observer is someone who watches
something carefullyor who follows a
particular situation with great
interest
Noun
- they’re keen observers of people and their behaviour
- an acute observer of human nature
- the elections will be monitored by independent observers
- to the casual observer, little seemed to have changed
- a trained observer will quickly tell you where you're going wrong
- Verb: observe
- Noun: observation
- he observed over 90 operations during his training
- you can learn a lot by observing people
- it’ll be interesting to observe what happens
- no significant changes were observed during the experiment
- she recommended learning through observation
- this will require careful observation
obsession
əbˈseʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you have an obsession with
something, you think about it or do it
all the time and cannot change your
behaviour
Noun
- an obsession with (doing) something
- Perhaps it was the trauma that caused his obsession
- she seemed to have an obsession with cleaning
- revising for exams can become an obsession
- behaviour that was bordering on obsession
- she had an unhealthy obsession with social media
- be obsessed with something
- an obsessive desire to keep fit
- Barry displayed obsessive behaviour
- her desire to lose weight had become obsessive
- some people are obsessional about cleanliness and tidiness
- he is madly and obsessively in love with Lenore
- I listen to Beethoven almost obsessively every night
- he grew up completely obsessed with football
- why are people so obsessed with celebrities?
obstacle
ˈɒbstək(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
an obstacle is a problem or
difficulty that stops you from going
somewhere or from achieving what you
are trying to do
Noun
- an obstacle to success
- lack of money is a serious obstacle
- an obstacle to communication
- what were the major obstacles you encountered?
- she’s had to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way
- they are calling on the government to remove obstacles to free trade
odds
ɒdz
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
the odds are the numbers that show
how much money you will win if a bet
wins. The odds of something happening
are how likely it is to happen
Noun plural
- the odds are against something
- long/short odds
- he’s the favourite to win, at odds of 2 to 1 (if you bet £1 you will win £2)
- the bookmakers are offering odds of 3 to 1 on a Conservative victory
- Germany started the competition at very short odds (they were considered very likely to win)
- what are the odds of finding the wreckage?
- the odds are in our favour
- the odds are against us
- she recovered against all the odds
offence
əˈfens
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
if someone commits an offence, they
do something that is against the
law
Noun
- commit an offence
- a serious offence
- a minor offence
- a first/second offence
- it was a really serious offence
- a public order offence (a crime in public such as fighting or rioting in the street)
- even minor offences were severely punished
- his offence was punishable by death
- his sentence was longer because it was a second offence
- Verb: offend
- Noun: offender
- if you offend again, you will be sent to prison
- some prisoners here are habitual offenders and some only first-time minor offenders
on air
ɒn ˈeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if someone is on air or on the air,
they are being broadcast on radio or
television. If a radio or television
station goes on air, it starts
broadcasting. If a programme is on
air, it is being broadcast
Phrase
- live on (the) air
- go/come on (the) air
- he was sacked for swearing on air
- I thought I’d be nervous, but I was fine as soon as I was on air
- the minister went on the air to explain the reasons for the changes
- the show went on air earlier this month
- Channel 4 first went on air in 1982
- Verb: air
- Antonym: off (the) air
- the interview with Obama aired last Friday
- they were not allowed to air the programme before 9 in the evening
- luckily, the remarks were made off the air
on demand
ɒn dɪˈmɑːnd
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if you demand something you ask for
it and want it immediately. So if a
service is on demand you can ask for
and get it immediately
Phrase
- I tend to watch films on demand at home
- our programmes are available online and on demand
- sporting content that you can watch on demand
opponent
əˈpəʊnənt
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
your opponent is the person or team
trying to beat you in a competition,
election, or other activity
Noun
- to win the tournament, the player must beat all 12 opponents
- Liverpool's opponents next week are Sunderland
- his opponent was too strong for him
- he won the election, with 2,000 votes more than his opponent
opposition
ˌɒpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if there is opposition to something,
people disagree with it and try to
stop it from happening or
continuing
Noun uncount
- why is there so much opposition to the proposal?
- there was strong opposition to the expansion plan
- the attempt to build a new road met with widespread opposition
- the proposal has faced opposition from local residents
- Verb: oppose
- Adjective: opposed
- Noun: opponent
- be opposed to something
- a majority of Scots voters opposed independence
- Clarke opposed the invasion of Iraq
- we are strongly opposed to nuclear weapons
- he had opponents both in his own party and in the government party
optimism
ˈɒptɪˌmɪzəm
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
optimism is having the belief that
good things are going to happen in the
future
Noun uncount
- optimism about something
- everyone I spoke with expressed optimism about the project
- I don’t share her optimism
- there’s a mood of cautious optimism in the country
- he was still young and full of optimism
- Adjective: optimistic
- Adverb: optimistically
- Noun: optimist
- optimistic about something
- optimistic that
- are you optimistic about the future?
- the results were better even than the most optimistic forecasts
- I am cautiously optimistic that this might work
- both sides have spoken optimistically about the talks
- he believed, optimistically, that sales would increase
- the optimist sees the glass as half full, while the pessimist sees it as half empty
order
ˈɔː(r)də(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if there is order, everything is
correct and everything happens as it
is meant to
Noun singular
- they are rewarded and order is restored
- it was almost daylight before order had been established again
- steps were taken to maintain social order
- by late afternoon, order prevailed (things were back to normal)
order
ˈɔː(r)də(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
order is a situation in which
everyone is obeying the law and no one
is fighting in public
Noun uncount
- law and order
- public order
- keep order
- restore order
- a public order offence
- troops were sent in to restore order
- there were a few law and order problems in the town
- the police were responsible for keeping order outside the parliament building
- Antonym – Noun: disorder
- civil disorder spread throughout the country
out of hand
ˌaʊt əv ˈhænd
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if something gets out of hand, it
becomes difficult to control
Phrase
- get out of hand
- completely out of hand
- the party got a bit out of hand
- the situation is getting completely out of hand
- matters are clearly out of hand
- we need to act now before the problem gets out of hand
outcome
ˈaʊtˌkʌm
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
the outcome of a process or activity
is the final result of it
Noun
- the final outcome was disappointing
- the outcome of the election
- a successful outcome
- actions which will achieve the desired outcome
- the outcome is uncertain
outfit
ˈaʊtfɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
an outfit is a particular set of
clothes, especially one that is worn
for special occasions
Noun
- the girls wear traditional Japanese outfits
- she had a different outfit for the opera that evening
- I can’t always wear the same outfit
- she considered buying a new outfit for the occasion
outline
ˈaʊtlaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
if you outline something, you give a
short or general explanation of it
without providing a lot of
details
Verb
- briefly outline
- broadly outline
- outline plans/proposals/policies
- I’d like to begin by outlining the proposal
- he outlined the government’s policies
- let me briefly outline the plan
- Noun: outline Adjective: outline
- an outline of a plan/proposal
- a broad/general/basic outline
- a brief outline
- an initial/preliminary outline
- she gave a brief outline of the company’s history
- a broad outline of the proposals
- this is just an initial outline, and further detail will be provided next week
- an outline proposal
outperform
ˌaʊtpə(r)ˈfɔː(r)m
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
to perform well or badly in an
activity means to do it well or badly.
If you outperform people in an
activity, you do it better than them,
and if something outperforms other
things, it does it better than them
Verb
- computers now outperform humans at chess
- some organisations significantly outperform others in their industry
- at school, he consistently outperformed his older brother
- traditionally, girls have outperformed boys in reading and writing
outrage
ˈaʊtˌreɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
outrage is a feeling of very strong
anger
Noun uncount
- cause/spark/trigger outrage
- moral outrage
- public outrage
- express outrage
- news of the ban caused outrage across the country
- the speech was greeted with outrage by opposition groups
- there’s been widespread public outrage
- I felt a deep sense of outrage
- Verb: outrage
- Adjective: outrageous
- Adverb: outrageously
- a lot of people were outraged by the idea
- that’s an outrageous suggestion!
- you’ve been behaving outrageously all evening (you’ve been behaving very badly)
outsource
ˈaʊtˌsɔː(r)s
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
when a company outsources its work or
services, it arranges for the work to
be done or the services to be provided
by a different organisation, sometimes
one in another country
Verb
- hospitals outsource their record keeping
- it’s much cheaper to outsource the work
- the company plans to outsource its research activities
- European firms that outsource labour to Asian countries
- Noun: outsourcing
- the benefits of outsourcing
- the outsourcing of components from Eastern Europe
over-the-top
ˌəʊvə(r) ðə ˈtɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if something is over-the-top, it is
so extreme that it seems silly. You
can also use just the initials and say
that something is OTT
Adjective
- it was completely over-the-top
- I think that’s a bit over-the top
- The film has loads of fight scenes and over-the-top acting
- his reaction was really over-the-top
- it was very funny, without being OTT
overcome
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈkʌm
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
to overcome something that is
dangerous or difficult means to
succeed in doing what you want to do
by surviving the danger or achieving
something that was difficult
Verb
- overcome an obstacle/barrier/difficulty
- successfully overcome something
- the story is about overcoming a monster
- even the most challenging of our issues were successfully overcome
- our role is to help students overcome these obstacles
- these translations made it possible to overcome the language barrier
- how have they tried to overcome their difficulties?
overdraft
ˈəʊvə(r)ˌdrɑːft
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you have an overdraft, you have
spent more money from a bank account
than you put in it, so you owe the
bank money. If you have an agreed
overdraft, the bank will let you spend
a certain amount more than you have in
your account before they start to
charge you extra interest
Noun
- an unauthorised overdraft
- run up an overdraft
- pay back/repay an overdraft
- an overdraft facility/agreement
- I had a £250 overdraft
- an overdraft might be cheaper than a bank loan
- I finally paid off my overdraft last month
- he ran up an overdraft of £3,000 in his first year at university
- Adjective: overdrawn
- my account gets overdrawn every month
- we’re £400 overdrawn
- I was charged twice for one small overdrawn amount
overdue
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈdjuː
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
if something is overdue, it has not
happened or been done by the expected
time
Adjective
- long overdue
- an overdue payment/debt/bill
- an overdue payment on your account
- my library books are overdue (I should have returned them)
- it’s a week overdue
- these reforms are long overdue
- the rent was long overdue and we were given three days to pay it
overhear
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈhɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you overhear what someone is
saying, you accidentally hear it and
they do not know that you could
hear
Verb
- I couldn’t help overhearing
- I overheard them talking about it
- I overheard him saying he was going to leave
- I don’t want anyone to overhear this
overlook
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈlʊk
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if something overlooks a place, it is
above the place and has a view over
it
Verb
- the hotel room overlooked a building site
- a balcony overlooking the beach
- I sat by a window overlooking the river
overnight
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈnaɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if something happens overnight, it
happens during the night or throughout
the night
Adverb
- soak the chickpeas overnight
- they kept him in hospital overnight
- we decided to travel overnight
- are you going to stay overnight?
- don’t leave the TV on overnight
- Adjective: overnight
- an overnight stay
- overnight accommodation
- the overnight ferry (you travel through the night and arrive in the morning)
- overnight parking is not allowed here
- the price included an overnight stay in Paris
- meals and overnight accommodation are extra
overseas
ˌəʊvəˈsiːz
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you live overseas, you live in a
foreign country. If you travel
overseas, you travel to a foreign
country. Usually, the country is a
long way away and you have to cross
the sea to get there.
Adverb
- ship/send/despatch something overseas
- live/work/be stationed overseas
- travel/journey overseas
- he lived overseas for 20 years
- seeking employment overseas
- visitors from overseas
- Adjective: overseas
- an overseas trip/journey/travel
- overseas visitors/students
- she returned from a long overseas trip to Australia
- overseas investment
oversee
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈsiː
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if you oversee an activity, process,
or organisation, you are in charge of
it and it is your job to make sure
that everything happens properly and
in the way it is meant to
Verb
- having overseen the collection, I know the exhibition will be sensational
- as regional chief, he oversaw four research laboratories
- he oversees the daily running of the centre
- my job was to oversee operations and handle the finances
- Noun: oversight
- a new committee was formed to provide the necessary oversight
- a board of directors will provide oversight of the charity's operations
overtake
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈteɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you overtake a car, lorry, bike
etc while you are driving, you go past
it because you are driving faster than
they are
Verb
- you shouldn't overtake on the inside
- you’re not allowed to overtake here
- a van overtook us
- as they came round a bend they met a lorry overtaking a tractor
overtake
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈteɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if you overtake another vehicle when
you are driving, you go past it
because you are moving faster
Verb
- he was trying to overtake on a corner
- you shouldn't overtake on the inside
- you’re not allowed to overtake here
- a van overtook us
- he drove fast, overtaking at every opportunity
overview
ˈəʊvə(r)ˌvjuː
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
an overview is a description of the
main parts of something
Noun
- an overview of something
- give/provide/present an overview
- brief/clear/broad overview
- an overview of the issues involved
- it gives an overview of American history
- a brief overview of the problem
- the author provides a broad overview of the research
overwhelming
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if something is overwhelming, it has
such a strong effect on your feelings
that it is difficult for you to
describe exactly how you feel
Adjective
- the people were so kind, it was quite overwhelming
- it was all a bit overwhelming
- I found the experience absolutely overwhelming
- my disappointment was almost overwhelming
- Verb: overwhelm
- Adverb: overwhelmingly
- I was overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness
- we were totally overwhelmed by people’s support
overwhelmingly
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmɪŋli
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
overwhelmingly means to a very great
extent
Adverb
- vote overwhelmingly for/against something
- overwhelmingly positive/negative
- reality TV is overwhelmingly positive
- they voted overwhelmingly in support of the idea
- public opinion was overwhelmingly against the war
- their comments were overwhelmingly supportive
- Adjective: overwhelming
- an overwhelming majority
- the overwhelming majority of students
- she managed to succeed against overwhelming odds
- overwhelming evidence that he was guilty
- the idea won overwhelming support
pace
peɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
the pace of something is the speed at
which it happens
Noun
- the pace of something
- (at) a slow/gentle/leisurely pace
- a brisk/fast pace
- she walked back to the hotel at a leisurely pace
- they kept up a brisk pace all the way home
- the pace of change in our lives is growing ever faster
pace
peɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
the pace of something is the speed at
which it happens
Noun
- the pace of something
- (at) a slow/gentle/leisurely pace
- a brisk/fast pace
- the pace of life is so fast here
- she walked back to the hotel at a leisurely pace
- they kept up a brisk pace all the way home
- the pace of change in our lives is growing ever faster
panel
ˈpæn(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a panel is a small group of people
who have been chosen to discuss
something and give a specialist
opinion about it
Noun
- a panel of five successful business people
- the panel’s recommendations were ignored
- panel discussions were held throughout the conference
- a panel requires a skilled chairperson
- a panel of judges
- a panel of experts
- Noun: panellist
- each panellist was asked to make a short closing speech
panic
ˈpænɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
panic is a state when people suddenly
become very worried about something
and start behaving in a slightly wild
way because they are not sure what to
do
Noun uncount
- widespread panic
- blind/sheer panic
- panic breaks out/sets in
- in a panic
- with panic
- the epidemic caused widespread panic across the continent
- he went into a blind panic when he thought he’d lost the baby
- a panic attack (a sudden feeling of panic)
- there was a moment of sheer panic before the brakes finally worked
- panic broke out when smoke was seen coming out of the kitchen
- in a panic, he jumped out of the second floor window
- his mother was white with panic
- Verb: panic
- Adjective: panicky
- panic about something
- whatever you do, don’t panic
- there’s no need to panic
- just stop panicking about it and calm down
- I panicked and ran into the garden
- everyone was panicking and trying to find a way out
- I felt a panicky urge to run away
- he felt panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
panic
ˈpænɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
panic is a state when people suddenly
become very worried about something
and start behaving in a slightly wild
way because they are not sure what to
do
Noun uncount
- widespread panic
- blind/sheer panic
- panic breaks out/sets in
- in a panic
- with panic
- the epidemic caused widespread panic across the continent
- he went into a blind panic when he thought he’d lost the baby
- a panic attack (a sudden feeling of panic)
- there was a moment of sheer panic before the brakes finally worked
- panic broke out when smoke was seen coming out of the kitchen
- in a panic, he jumped out of the second floor window
- his mother was white with panic
- Verb: panic
- Adjective: panicky
- panic about something
- whatever you do, don’t panic
- there’s no need to panic
- just stop panicking about it and calm down
- I panicked and ran into the garden
- everyone was panicking and trying to find a way out
- I felt a panicky urge to run away
- he felt panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
panic
ˈpænɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you panic, you suddenly start
behaving in a slightly wild way
because you are very worried about
something
Verb
- panic about something
- whatever you do, don’t panic
- there’s no need to panic
- just stop panicking about it and calm down
- I panicked and ran into the garden
- everyone was panicking and trying to find a way out
- Noun: panic
- Adjective: panicky
- widespread panic
- blind/sheer panic
- panic breaks out/sets in
- in a panic
- with panic
- the epidemic caused widespread panic across the continent
- he went into a blind panic when he thought he’d lost the baby
- a panic attack (a sudden feeling of panic)
- there was a moment of sheer panic before the brakes finally worked
- panic broke out when smoke was seen coming out of the kitchen
- in a panic, he jumped out of the second floor window
- his mother was white with panic
- I felt a panicky urge to run away
- he felt panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
parade
pəˈreɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
a parade is a big public event when a
lot of people or vehicles go through
the streets of a town as part of a big
celebration
Noun
- the parade took over an hour to pass by the front of our shop
- a military parade
- there were street parades and then fireworks in the evening
- the parade marched along 5th Avenue in Manhattan
parallel
ˈpærəlel
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
parallel lines are next to each other
and stay the same distance apart as
they continue. If you see a parallel
between two things or situations, you
think that they are similar. If events
run in parallel, they happen at the
same time and in the same way
Noun
- draw/make a parallel
- see parallels
- it is possible to see parallels with the real-life experience of Aniello Arena
- there are some parallels here with his earlier poems
- you can draw parallels between the two novels
- the minister drew a parallel between the challenges of twenty years ago and today
- the fall in crime has run in parallel with increased university admissions
- Adjective: parallel
- Verb: parallel
- Adverb: parallel
- a shape with two parallel lines
- the two cases were exactly parallel
- my work has always paralleled my life experiences
- the road runs parallel to the railway line for 20 miles
- Arensky's career ran parallel with some of Russia's most famous composers
parallel
ˈpærəlel
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
parallel lines are next to each other
and stay the same distance apart as
they continue. If you see a parallel
between two things or situations, you
think that they are similar. If events
run in parallel, they happen at the
same time and in the same way
Noun
- draw/make a parallel
- see parallels
- it is possible to see parallels with the real-life experience of Aniello Arena
- there are some parallels here with his earlier poems
- you can draw parallels between the two novels
- the minister drew a parallel between the challenges of twenty years ago and today
- the fall in crime has run in parallel with increased university admissions
- Adjective: parallel
- Verb: parallel
- Adverb: parallel
- a shape with two parallel lines
- the two cases were exactly parallel
- my work has always paralleled my life experiences
- the road runs parallel to the railway line for 20 miles
- Arensky's career ran parallel with some of Russia's most famous composers
particle
ˈpɑː(r)tɪk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
a particle is a very small piece of
something
Noun
- lead particles are released into the atmosphere
- the average person breathes in around 50 billion dust particles an hour
- Newton claimed that light travels in minute particles
- particles that are smaller than a grain of sand
party
ˈpɑː(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
to party means to have a good time by
being with friends, and doing things
like drinking or dancing or talking.
If you party the night away, you spend
a whole evening and night doing this
Verb
- we partied the night away
- let’s party!
- he's been working all day and out partying all night
- since it was the last night of our holiday, we all celebrated and partied
- Noun: party
- throw a party
- a birthday party
- a dinner party
- a street party
- a house-warming party
- there was plenty to eat at the party
- he had his ninth birthday party last week
- they threw a lavish house-warming party (a party to celebrate someone moving into a new home)
party
ˈpɑː(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
to party means to have a good time by
being with friends, and doing things
like drinking or dancing or talking.
If you party the night away, you spend
a whole evening and night doing this
Verb
- I spent most of my time meeting new people and partying
- we partied the night away
- let’s party!
- he's been working all day and out partying all night
- since it was the last night of our holiday, we all celebrated and partied
- Noun: party
- throw a party
- a birthday party
- a dinner party
- a street party
- a house-warming party
- there was plenty to eat at the party
- he had his ninth birthday party last week
- they threw a lavish house-warming party (a party to celebrate someone moving into a new home)
pass on
ˈpɑːs ˌɒn
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
to pass something on means to give it
to someone else after someone has
given it to you
Phrasal verb
- please pass on our thanks to everyone
- I’m phoning to pass on a message
- can you pass this on to Gemma?
- it’s just a rumour. Not worth passing it on
pass out
ˈpɑːs ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you pass out, you become
unconscious for a short time
Phrasal verb
- I thought I was going to pass out
- he passed out with the heat
- I almost passed out with the pain
- it nearly made me pass out
- I screamed so loud I almost passed out
pavement
ˈpeɪvmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
the pavement is the slightly raised
area at the side of a street where
people can walk and where cars are not
allowed. The American word is
sidewalk
Noun
- I never park on the pavement
- walking along the pavement
- a narrow pavement
- a car mounted the pavement (drove on to it)
- sidewalk cafes
peak
piːk
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
the peak of something is the time
when it is biggest or most
successful
Noun
- hit/reach a peak
- the prison population hit a peak of 450,000 in 2006
- inflation reached a peak of 15% last year
- share prices have risen to an all-time peak
- the peak period for tourism
- the price of petrol has fallen from its peak of £1.49 a litre
- a young tennis player who hasn’t reached his peak yet
- Murray is at his peak now
- Verb: peak
- interest rates peaked at 16%
- the band's popularity peaked in the 1990s
- oil production will soon peak and then decline
pedestrian
pəˈdestriən
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
pedestrians are people who are
walking in a town or city, in contrast
to people who are driving or cycling
or riding in buses. To pedestrianise
part of a town or city means to make
it into an area where cars and other
vehicles are not allowed
Noun
- drivers must stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings
- a pedestrian bridge
- a pedestrian precinct (an area just for pedestrians, not cars)
- a pedestrian crossing (where pedestrians can cross the road)
- better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists
- plans to pedestrianise the High Street
- a fully pedestrianised town centre
peer
pɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
to peer at something or someone means
to look very carefully at them
Verb
- peering out, he saw an old man
- he wiped the window and peered out
- she was peering intently at the prices
- she peered again at the water below, and decided not to jump
- he bent down to peer at the spider
performance
pə(r)ˈfɔː(r)məns
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
a performance is the presentation of
a play or musical event in front of an
audience
Noun
- put on/stage a performance
- they put on performances in local schools
- the performance will begin in five minutes
- the performance was recorded and released as a DVD
- musical and theatrical performances
- Verb: perform
- Noun: performer
- Adjective: performing
- the play was performed in several regional cities before arriving in London
- the school orchestra performs two concerts each year
- the show ended with all of the performers singing the national anthem
- there are some genuinely talented performers in the group
- the performing arts (acting, playing music, etc)
permit
ˈpɜː(r)mɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
a permit is a document that proves
that you have been given official
permission to do something
Noun
- I had to fill in four forms to get a work permit
- apply for a residency permit
- you need a travel permit
- my permit has expired (I no longer have permission to do what it allowed)
- do you have a permit for that gun?
- Verb: permit
- Noun: permission
- Adjective: permitted
- Adjective: permissible
- students are not permited to bring tobacco onto the campus
- a card which legally permits you to drive a car
- if you’re under 18 you must have writtem permission from a parent
- permission was granted to start building the new swimming pool
- payments in cash are no longer permissible
- noise from the establishment was above the permissible level
persistent
pə(r)ˈsɪstənt
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
persistent activity carries on even
though people don’t want it to.
Someone who is persistent carries on
what they are doing, even if it is
difficult or if people don’t want them
to
Adjective
- one of the city’s most persistent fraudsters
- he still heard the persistent rain splashing outside
- he refused to answer her persistent questions
- I felt under constant, persistent threat
- persistent offenders face losing their licence
- Adverb: persistently
- Noun: persistence
- Verb: persist
- the weather during June was persistently bad
- she pursued Harding persistently, until he reluctantly confessed
- polite persistence can be very effective
- your persistence and local knowledge proved invaluable
- the problem persisted for weeks
- if the symptoms persist, see your doctor
perspective
pə(r)ˈspektɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
perspective is a sensible way of
looking at a situation and judging how
important or serious it is. If you put
something into perspective, you think
about it and come to a sensible
decision about how important it really
is compared to other things
Noun
- a fresh/new perspective
- a different perspective
- offer/present/give a perspective
- out of perspective
- you need to put things into perspective (realise that things are not as bad or serious as you think)
- try to keep a sense of perspective
- I think you’ve got things out of perspective (you think they are more serious than they really are)
- living in another country gives you a different perspective on life
perspective
pə(r)ˈspektɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
your perspective is the way you see
or understand a situation
Noun
- from our perspective, we don’t see enough rehabilitation
- the story is seen from the monster’s perspective
- my illness has given me a new perspective on life
- try to see things from a broader perspective
persuasion
pə(r)ˈsweɪʒ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
persuasion is the act of talking to
someone and making them believe what
you want them to believe or do what
you want them to do, even if they do
not want to at first
Noun uncount
- gentle/firm persuasion
- be open to persuasion
- she used her powers of persuasion to convince him to come out
- he didn’t need much persuasion to come to the cinema
- I’m open to persuasion (I’m prepared to listen to what someone has to say)
- he tried to keep me with gentle persuasion and higher pay, but I was determined to leave
- Verb: persuade
- Adjective: persuasive
- Adverb: persuasively
- Noun: persuasiveness
- persuade someone to do something
- they didn’t need much persuading
- how do I persuade my colleagues to help?
- no one was persuaded by his argument
- his analysis is highly persuasive
- there was persuasive evidence of his guilt
- she spoke clearly and persuasively
- the author persuasively argues for tax reform
- buyers make purchases based on the persuasiveness of the salesperson
- his persuasiveness overcame all the objections
phase
feɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a phase is one stage in the
development of something
Noun
- there are four distinct phases that everyone goes through
- the first phase of the project
- the second phase of the building work
- a difficult phase in the country’s history
- the final phase of the installation was completed today
- the next phase of flight testing was delayed by two weeks
- Verb: phase
- phase something in
- phase something out
- new systems will be phased in early next year (gradually introduced)
- they are gradually phasing out the old desktop style computers (stopping using them, but in stages, not all at the same time)
phenomenon
fəˈnɒmɪnən
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
a phenomenon is something that
happens or exists
Noun
- a natural phenomenon
- a new/recent phenomenon
- a rare/common phenomenon
- the recent phenomenon of taking selfies
- the storm was a natural phenomenon of great power
- this is an extremely rare phenomenon, unheard of so far in the U.S. and Canada
- increased consumption of tomato juice is a common phenomenon on board airliners
pick
pɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
if you pick fruit or vegetables or
flowers, you take them from the plant
that they are growing on so that you
can eat them or show them
indoors
Verb
- we’re going to pick mushrooms this afternoon
- freshly picked tomatoes
- pick and wash the herbs and then chop finely
pile
paɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a pile is an arrangement of things on
top of each other
Noun
- he sorted the rubbish into piles
- a pile of books
- she arranged the letters in neat piles
- a pile of junk in the corner of the room
- we slept on piles of old newspapers
- Verb: pile
- she sat at a desk piled high with papers
- there were some old clothes piled in the corner
pin
pɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
a pin is a piece of metal that is put
into someone’s body to hold together a
bone that has been broken
Noun
- the surgeon then inserts a metal pin to keep the bone in its new place
- six weeks later the pin will be removed in the clinic
- internal pins and or screws are used to hold the bone in place
- Verb: pin
- I had to have my leg pinned
pitch
pɪtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to pitch something means to talk
about it and try to persuade people to
buy it or to do business with
you
Verb
- pitch for something
- pitch to someone
- they were asked to pitch their ideas to the panel
- there were three of them pitching for the contract
- he pitched his novel to several different publishers
- she spent a month pitching for business
- Noun: pitch
- a sales pitch
- I only had ten minutes to make my pitch
planning permission
ˈplænɪŋ pə(r)ˌmɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
in Britain, planning permission is
official permission from a local
authority that allows someone to build
a house or make changes to an existing
house
Noun uncount
- apply for planning permission
- grant planning permission
- refuse planning permission
- the club has applied for planning permission to extend the clubhouse
- planning permission was granted last April
- the proposal was refused planning permission
- planning permission is not normally needed for minor works
plant
plɑːnt
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a plant is a living thing such as a
tree or bush that grows out of the
ground. If you plant something in the
ground, you put seeds or a young plant
in the earth so that a plant will
grow. If someone plants a bomb or
other device, they leave it there so
that it will explode at a later
time
Noun
- none of the other plants can survive here
- house plants (plants that you grow in pots inside your home)
- my pea plants prefer moist soil
- edible wild plants (that you can safely eat)
- this very popular plant grows well indoors
- Verb: plant
- we planted corn and barley (put seeds into the ground so that corn and barley plants would grow)
- my grandfather cleared the field and planted this orchard
- terrorists had planted a bomb inside the cinema
- a demolition unit planted explosives on one of the platforms to destroy it
- a landmine had been planted just over the border
plaster
ˈplɑːstə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you have an arm or leg in plaster,
it is covered in a solid substance
that makes a sleeve to protect a
broken bone while it is recovering.
The sleeve is called a plaster cast
and is made from plaster of Paris,
which is a mixture of a white powder
and water that becomes firm and solid
once it is dry
Noun uncount
- your leg will be in plaster for at least six weeks
- she left hospital with her wrist in plaster
- I couldn’t type with a plaster cast on my hand
plead
pliːd
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
in a court, when someone pleads
guilty or pleads not guilty to a
crime, they formally tell the judge
whether they are guilty or not
guilty
Verb
- plead guilty/not guilty (to something)
- he will be pleading not guilty
- how do you plead – guilty or not guilty?
- he had already pleaded guilty to the charges
- Noun: plea
- enter a plea
- neither defendant entered a plea
- his guilty plea was withdrawn and all charges were dropped
plot
plɒt
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
the plot of a story, film, or play is
all the linked the events that happen
during it
Noun
- a complicated/simple plot
- a plot develops/unfolds
- the plot was very complicated
- a long book with a surprisingly simple plot
- the plot was interesting, but the writing was awful
- a plot twist (an unexpected event in the story that is deliberately meant to surprise people)
plough
plaʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if you plough money into something,
you invest money in it
Verb
- we ploughed all the money back into the business
- he ploughed the profits into a new venture
- they ploughed all their savings into the business
- his idea was to plough their money into a chain of shops
plunge
plʌndʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to plunge means to decrease quickly
by a large amount
Verb
- sales have plunged
- profits have plunged
- share prices have plunged
- temperatures plunged to minus 15
- crime rates plunged dramatically under the new mayor
- Noun: plunge
- a plunge in house prices
- the crisis led to a plunge in consumer confidence
plunge
plʌndʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to plunge means to decrease quickly
by a large amount
Verb
- the number of cars that were stolen plunged by almost 70%
- sales have plunged
- profits have plunged
- share prices have plunged
- temperatures plunged to minus 15
- crime rates plunged dramatically under the new mayor
- Noun: plunge
- a plunge in house prices
- the crisis led to a plunge in consumer confidence
pointless
ˈpɔɪntləs
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
something that is pointless has no
purpose or end result, which makes
people think it is bad and
unnecessary
Adjective
- games like that are dull and pointless
- the trip turned out to be a pointless waste of money
- arguing with him was just pointless
- the film's ending was utterly pointless after everything that had come before
poisoning
ˈpɔɪz(ə)nɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
poisoning is illness or death caused
by someone eating, drinking, or
breathing something poisonous
Noun
- there was a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
- rotten mushrooms can cause food poisoning
- she died of accidental alcohol poisoning
- Verb: poison
- Noun: poison
- Adjective: poisonous
- we were worried that we had been poisoned
- he killed his victims by poisoning them
- she poisoned him with arsenic
- he was accused of giving them poison
- a cake laced with poison (containing it)
- poisonous plants
- a poisonous snake
polish
ˈpɒlɪʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
to polish something means to rub it
with a cloth or a special substance to
make it shine
Verb
- polish shoes/boots
- polish a surface/mirror
- I need to polish my shoes before I go out
- to polish the floor
- the brightly polished surface of her desk
- Noun: polish
- boot/shoe polish
- furniture/floor polish
- metal/wood polish
- spray the miror with polish, then wipe it clean
- the heavy scent of wood polish
- black shoe polish
poll
pəʊl
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
a poll is an activity in which a
large number of people are asked what
they think about something or how they
will vote in an election. You can also
refer to the elections that take place
when a country chooses a new
government as the polls
Noun
- an opinion poll
- the results of a recent opinion poll
- no opinion polls were allowed in the week before the election
- he was defeated at the polls three times
- the polls suggested that Rocard was more popular than Mitterrand
- the poll found that neither candidate was popular among voters
- Verb: poll
- over 6,000 people from various backgrounds were polled
- 43% of voters polled were undecided
pop
pɒp
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you pop something into a space,
you put it there quickly or
casually
Verb
- pop the card in here and then key in your PIN
- pop your coat in the hall and come through to the dining room
- I’ll just pop the chicken in the oven
postpone
pəʊsˈpəʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
to postpone an event, meeting,
activity etc means to delay it until a
later time or day
Verb
- we’ll have to postpone the trip
- the match has been postponed
- the meeting’s been postponed until next Thursday
- the trial has been postponed indefinitely (no one knows when it will eventually happen)
- Noun: postponement
- they’ve announced the postponement of all today’s matches
potential
pəˈtenʃ(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
you use potential to refer to someone
or something who might develop into a
particular type of person or thing in
the the future
Adjective
- if we’re honest, we’re all potential hoarders
- who are your current and potential customers?
- the building was a potential fire hazard
- the risks may outweigh potential benefits
- let your potential employer know you are willing to learn
- Noun: potential
- Adverb: potentially
- she never realised her true potential
- freedom to explore your own potential
- five million potentially productive workers
- potentially dangerous weather conditions
pour
pɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if you pour a liquid from a
container, you hold the container at
an angle so that the liquid comes out
of it
Verb
- pour something off/away
- pour something over something
- pour away the oil from the pan
- pour the mixture over the biscuit pieces
- she poured the sauce over the fish
- remove the meat from the oven and pour off most of the fat (leave some fat in the container)
- he poured the tea into large metal mugs
poverty
ˈpɒvə(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
poverty is the continuous state of
not having enough money to be able to
pay for essential things like food,
clothing, or rent
Noun uncount
- the hero was living in poverty
- our aim is a world free from extreme poverty
- overcrowded cities suffered from widespread poverty
- child poverty is the worst problem we face in this country
poverty
ˈpɒvə(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
poverty is the continuous state of
not having enough money to be able to
pay for essential things like food,
clothing, or rent
Noun uncount
- the hero was living in poverty
- our aim is a world free from extreme poverty
- overcrowded cities suffered from widespread poverty
- child poverty is the worst problem we face in this country
powerful
ˈpaʊə(r)f(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
a powerful action is one that is done
with a lot of force and strength
Adjective
- she hit a powerful drive and made a hole in one
- he received a powerful blow on the chest that knocked him down
- the soldiers rapidly fell back in the face of a powerful attack
- the explosion was so powerful that it caused nearby buildings to shake
- Noun: power
- Adverb: powerfully
- the great power of hydrogen bombs
- exercises to improve your strength and leg power
- a powerfully built man
precede
prɪˈsiːd
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if one thing precedes another, it
happens before the other thing
Verb
- the meal was preceded by a few short speeches
- theories in physics often precede actual observation
- George W Bush immediately preceded Barack Obama as president of the USA
- the meeting preceded the press conference
- Adjective: preceding
- read the last two sentences in the preceding paragraph again
- prices moved up more slowly in October than in the preceding few months
precious
ˈpreʃəs
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
something that is precious is worth a
lot of money
Adjective
- precious stones/metals
- the first bag was full of precious things
- a craftsman in precious metals (valuable metals such as gold and silver)
- a crown sparkling with precious stones (jewels such as diamonds and rubies)
- salt was a precious item for the Romans
- don’t drop that vase! It’s extremely precious
predictable
prɪˈdɪktəb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if something is predictable, it
happens in exactly the way you think
it will. If a film or story is
predictable, it is not very
interesting because you can easily
guess how it will finish
Adjective
- highly/utterly/totally predictable
- a predictable result/outcome
- the ending of the film was quite predictable
- the utterly predictable result was that sea levels rose
- other environmental changes are less predictable
- his objections were both predictable and unwelcome
- Adverb: predictably
- Verb: predict
- Noun: prediction
- accurately predict something
- successfully predict something
- an accurate prediction
- a prediction proves (to be) right/wrong
- the results were, predictably, not good
- opinions were predictably divided
- she successfully predicted the outcome of the general election
- can history help us predict the future?
- her predictions proved to be correct
- Smith has been criticised for his inaccurate predictions
present
prɪˈzent
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if something presents a challenge,
difficulty, or opportunity, it causes
it or provides it
Verb
- the monster presents a serious challenge
- the war presented unique challenges for industry
- this situation presents both opportunity and risk
- a number of other cases present similar difficulties
pressure group
ˈpreʃə(r) ɡruːp
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
a pressure group is a group that
tries to influence people’s opinions
or achieve political change
Noun
- an environmental pressure group
- an anti-smoking pressure group
- they set up a pressure group to campaign for change
- some pressure groups get attention because of their expert knowledge
pretend
prɪˈtend
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you pretend, you behave in a way
that deliberately suggests something
about you that is not true
Verb
- they pretend to be someone different
- those TV programmes everyone pretends to hate
- we all pretended not to hear what he’d said
- she had decided to pretend that nothing had happened
- I had to pretend I really liked the film
- Noun: pretence
- Jess made a pretence of drinking the water (she didn’t actually drink it)
- his interest was not all pretence
pride
praɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
pride is a feeling of pleasure and
satisfaction you get when you do
something well
Noun uncount
- take pride in (doing) something
- people take pride in what they do here
- she showed us her award with great pride
- she could see the pride in her parents’ faces
- with immense pride she hung her medal round her neck
- Verb: pride yourself
- Adjective: proud
- Adverb: proudly
- he prides himself on the quality of his work
- we’re very proud of you
- I’m particularly proud of this painting
- she proudly showed us her diploma
priest
priːst
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
in the Christian church, a priest is
a person who has a particular formal
role. In some other religions, people
with a particular role are also called
priests
Noun
- a parish/Catholic priest
- a woman priest
- the priest consulted an astrological chart
- campaigning to have more women priests
- the new parish priest (the member of the clergy who is responsible for a particular church and its surrounding area)
- with them came priests and bishops, and monasteries were soon established
- Adverb: priestly
- he had no priestly authority
- a priestly gown
privacy
ˈprɪvəsi
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
privacy is the state in which you can
control what other people know about
you. If you have no privacy, people
can watch you or find out things about
you that you do not want them to
know
Noun uncount
- new laws on data protection and privacy
- advice on how to protect your privacy online (stop other people getting information about you, such as your passwords or bank card details)
- the high fence around the garden ensured a degree of privacy
- some like having neighbours nearby, while others like the idea of complete privacy
- Adjective: private
- she’s a very private person (she never says much about herself to anyone)
- he has the right to a private life (to live without people watching and reporting on what he does)
procedure
prəˈsiːdʒə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
a procedure is a set of actions that
you regularly do in the same way in
order to do something correctly
Noun
- follow a procedure
- adopt a procedure
- normal/usual/standard procedure
- our normal procedure is to confirm bookings by email
- the usual procedure for making reservations
- you didn’t follow the correct procedure
- the company’s standard procedures for taking on new staff
- they adopted new procedures to prevent such mistakes happening again
process
ˈprəʊses
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
to process a claim, application,
business transaction etc. means to
check that everything is acceptable
and to authorise it to take
place
Verb
- the machine wouldn’t process the transaction
- all the applications are now processed electronically (using computers)
- we’ll process the claim and the money should reach your bank account early next week
- Noun: process
- the approval process normally takes two weeks
productivity
ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
productivity is the rate at which
goods are produced or work is done,
measured by calculating how much time
is taken for different tasks and how
much money it costs
Noun uncount
- productivity levels
- increase/improve productivity
- industrial productivity
- productivity grows/rises
- productivity falls/declines
- he expected to see productivity levels decline in the winter months
- there are considerable opportunities to increase productivity in developing countries
- a sharp rise in industrial productivity between 1970 and 1975
- factors that significantly affect productivity
- Adjective: productive
- Adverb: productively
- highly productive
- I was happier and more productive before the new boss arrived
- last month was our most productive for over four years
- the workforce was highly productive
- I can work so much more productively from home than if I’m in the office
- the time was productively spent developing a new logo
prohibit
prəʊˈhɪbɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if the authorities prohibit
something, they officially say it
cannot be done or cannot be allowed to
happen
Verb
- strictly/expressly prohibit something
- smoking is prohibited in public places
- the law prohibits marriage under 16 years of age
- the government prohibited all unofficial political activities
- alcohol is strictly prohibited anywhere on the premises
- a recent law prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving
- Adjective: prohibited
- Noun: prohibition
- murder is a prohibited act everywhere in the world
- the current smoking prohibition applies to all staff and students
projected
prəˈdʒektɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
a projected amount or quantity is
what someone expects to be the outcome
of a process or activity because they
have made some calculations
Adjective
- she presented the projected sales figures to the board
- projected oil production for 2020 is 12 billion barrels
- the projected costs are around 50 million euros
- Verb: project
- Noun: projection
- be projected to do something
- latest projections
- long-term projections
- production was projected to fall sharply
- global population is projected to pass 10 billion this century
- latest projections suggest the deficit will fall by only 5% next year
- initial projections turned out to be too low
promote
prəˈməʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if you promote something, you support
or encourage it, and want people to
become aware of it
Verb
- he went on TV to promote his latest book
- a new campaign to promote recycling
- an effort to promote trade between the two countries
- she is raising awareness and promoting peace through education
- Noun: promotion
- the promotion of something
- trade promotion activity
- the promotion of sport gained support from other ministers
promote
prəˈməʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if someone is promoted in the
organization they work for, they are
given a better and more important
job
Verb
- Noun: promotion
- get/achieve/earn promotion
- rapid promotion
- deserved/merited/well-earned promotion
- promotion to something
- William was proud of Jan’s rapid promotion
- it was a well-earned promotion to Chief Constable
promotion
prəˈməʊʃən
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
promotion within an organization is
an official change in job to a better
and more important job
Noun
- get/achieve/earn promotion
- rapid promotion
- deserved/merited/well-earned promotion
- promotion to something
- I got a promotion after just six months
- William was proud of Jan’s rapid promotion
- it was a well-earned promotion to Chief Constable
- Verb: promote
- promote someone to something
- get promoted to head of department
property
ˈprɒpə(r)ti
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
property is land, houses or flats.
The word property is used especially
when talking about its value, its
ownership, or when someone is buying
or selling land or houses
Noun
- property prices in London have risen 10% this year
- military property is public property, not private property
- demand for residential property has increased
- a large one-bedroom property suitable for a couple or a small family
- thanks to rising property values, your flat is now worth £400,000
prospective
prəˈspektɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a prospective employee, buyer, client
etc. is someone who is not yet the
employee, buyer or client of
something, but who wants to be and is
trying to be
Adjective
- prospective entrepreneurs present their plans to a panel of investors
- companies send recruiters to colleges to interview prospective employees
- these services are free to the prospective buyer
- the school holds annual meetings for prospective parents (parents who think they want to send their children to the school)
- the faculty welcomes prospective students wishing to visit departments
psychological
ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
psychological means relating to
someone’s mind and thoughts
Adjective
- these plots fulfil a deep psychological need for moral order
- doctors had dismissed her illness as “purely psychological” (they believed she only thought she was ill and wasn’t really ill)
- the psychological well-being of children is very important
- he was known to have a psychological disorder
- it may result in psychological and social problems
- Noun: psychology
- Adverb: psychologically
- her teaching interests include general psychology and developmental psychology
- all participants were physically and psychologically healthy
- his experiences in the war left him psychologically damaged
publicise
ˈpʌblɪsaɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
when something is publicised,
information about it is released so
that people get to know about it
Verb
- be widely/highly/heavily publicised
- she was in Liverpool, publicising her latest book
- news of the Royal visit was widely publicised
- a highly publicised speech by the prime minister
- Noun: publicity
- a publicity campaign
- a publicity stunt
- favourable/good publicity
- bad/negative/unfavourable/unwelcome publicity
- there’s no such thing as bad publicity (it’s better for people to hear something about you, even if it is bad, than to hear nothing about you)
- the incident exposed the college to some unwelcome publicity
- the advance publicity for the show was very effective
- parents mounted a publicity campaign to save the school from closing
- it was just a cheap publicity stunt (a silly event that that was intended only to draw attention to something)
publicity
pʌbˈlɪsəti
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
publicity is attention that is given
to something in newspapers and
magazines
Noun uncount
- a publicity campaign
- a publicity stunt
- favourable/good publicity
- bad/negative/unfavourable/unwelcome publicity
- negative publicity could do a lot of damage
- there’s no such thing as bad publicity (it’s better for people to hear something about you, even if it is bad, than to hear nothing about you)
- the incident exposed the college to some unwelcome publicity
- the advance publicity for the show was very effective
- parents mounted a publicity campaign to save the school from closing
- it was just a cheap publicity stunt (a silly event that that was intended only to draw attention to something)
- Verb: publicise
- be widely/highly/heavily publicised
- she was in Liverpool, publicising her latest book
- news of the Royal visit was widely publicised
- a highly publicised speech by the prime minister
pull out
ˈpʊl ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
when a vehicle or a driver pulls out,
the vehicle moves from the side of the
road into the main part of the
road
Phrasal verb
- she braked hard as a vehicle pulled out in front of her without warning
- don’t pull out yet – there’s a lorry coming
pull over
ˈpʊl ˌəʊvə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you pull over, you drive to the
side of the road and stop your car. If
the police pull you over, they make
you move to the side of the road and
stop your car
Phrasal verb
- we had to pull over until the rain eased off
- we pulled over to the side of the road
- she signalled to us to pull over
- we pulled over and got out of the car
- Harris was pulled over on a routine traffic check
purchase
ˈpɜː(r)tʃəs
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
purchase is the act of buying
something. A purchase is something
that you have bought
Noun
- an impulse purchase (something you buy suddenly without planning to buy it)
- I went home with my purchases
- they put pressure on us to make a purchase
- the receipt shows the date of purchase
- local restaurants offer delicious food for purchase
- the full purchase price will be returned, excluding shipping costs
- Verb: purchase
- Noun: purchaser
- the original property was purchased in 1933
- do you recommend purchasing tickets in advance?
- the house was sold to a private purchaser
- we are negotiating with a number of potential purchasers
put forward
ˌpʊt ˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to put something forward means to
suggest that it is true or is
something that should happen or be
used
Phrasal verb
- this argument has been put forward as a reason to close the airport
- if they put her name forward she might get an interview for the job
- Douglas put forward a proposal for a new tax
- many suggestions were put forward but little progress was made
put off
ˈpʊt ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
to put something off means to delay
it until a later time
Phrasal verb
- put off doing something
- try to put off sensitive topics until later in the day
- I couldn’t put the decision off any longer
- I was trying to put off telling him
- don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today
put off
pʊt ˈɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
to put something off means to delay
it until a later time
Phrasal verb
- put off doing something
- they promised to fix it, but they keep putting it off
- I couldn’t put the decision off any longer
- I was trying to put off telling him
- don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today
put together
ˈpʊt təˌɡeðə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you put something together, you
make it by joining all its different
pieces to each other
Phrasal verb
- when I tried to put it together, I realised there was a piece missing
- he put together the bookcase with glue and no nails
- the cupboard was very badly put together
- I thought my bike was broken, but dad helped me put it together again
put up with
pʊt ˈʌp wɪð
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
to put up with something that you do
not like or do not want means to
accept it in a patient way without
complaining
Phrasal verb
- I can’t put up with that noise any longer
- I don’t know why they put up with it
- we left at 5 and just had to put up with the rush hour traffic
- we have to put up with very slow broadband speeds here
qualify
ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if you qualify as a doctor, lawyer,
architect etc, you pass the necessary
exams and are allowed to work in that
profession
Verb
- qualify as someone
- qualify in a profession
- qualify someone to do something
- she qualified in 2003
- he qualified as a solicitor but took a job in the music industry
- she hopes to qualify in dentistry next year
- her degree qualifies her to teach at secondary level
- Adjective: qualified
- Antonym: unqualified
- Noun: qualification
- a qualified teacher
- some staff are professionally qualified, others are still studying for their qualifications
- make sure you use a qualified financial advisor
- some well-qualified candidates
- unqualified school leavers (people who leave school with no qualifications)
- he’s got excellent qualifications
- good academic qualifications
- employers will demand proof of your qualifications
quarter
ˈkwɔː(r)tə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
a particular quarter is a small area
of a town or city where the same sort
of activities take place or the same
sort of people live
Noun
- one of the poorer quarters of Naples
- all big cities have poorer quarters
- Deptford is becoming an artistic quarter
- the houses are different from those in the Russian quarter
- an artisan quarter (an area with a lot of people who make things with their hands)
- the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham
rags
ræɡz
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
rags are old clothes that are not in
good condition. If someone is wearing
rags, their clothes are in very bad
condition because they do not have
enough money to buy proper clothes. A
rags-to-riches story is about someone
who was once very poor but who becomes
rich
Noun plural
- he never bathed, had horrible teeth, and dressed in rags
- his story is one of rags to riches
- the rags-to-riches tale of an orphan from Dublin
- his rise from rags to riches
raid
reɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if the police raid somewhere, they go
in there using force in order to look
for criminals or illegal goods. If
criminals raid somewhere, they go in
there using force in order to steal
things. When the military raid
somewhere, they make a sudden and
violent attack there
Verb
- the police raided a cafe looking for the stolen money
- the authorities raided the farm and found weapons and ammunition
- four gunmen raided the warehouse
- pirates regularly raided the island in the 19th century
- soldiers raided their village during the night
- the British raided and burned Washington, D.C. in 1814
- Noun: raid
- Noun: raider
- conduct/launch/stage a raid
- a bombing raid
- an air raid
- three guns were seized in a police raid on his home
- police launched raids on the homes of the gang members
- the next night another air raid caused 13 deaths (an attack when bombs are dropped from planes in the air)
- bombing raids had destroyed thousands of buildings
- masked raiders escaped with jewellery and cash
- the raiders attacked the nightwatchman who suffered head injuries
raise
reɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
to raise something means to tell
people about it or make them think
about it more
Verb
- he also raises an alarm that this could be the last chance we have
- a campaign to raise awareness of AIDS (tell people more about it)
- he didn’t raise the subject of money (he didn’t talk about it)
- the accident has raised concerns about safety regulations
- your letter raises two important questions
- no one else raised any objection
raise
reɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you raise your voice, you begin to
speak more loudly, for example because
you are angry or because you need to
shout so that people can hear
you
Verb
- he would never raise his voice to her (speak angrily to her)
- Luke had to raise his voice to make himself heard
- the painter raised his voice in protest
- don’t you raise your voice at me
rally
ˈræli
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
a rally is a big public event that is
held in support of a political party
or of an organisation such as a
charity
Noun
- attend/join a rally
- a mass rally
- hold/stage/organise a rally
- a campaign rally
- a protest rally
- an election rally
- several MPs attended the rally in Glasgow yesterday
- mass rallies were held across the country
- a rally in support of the miners
random
ˈrændəm
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
random events or choices happen
without planning, so they cannot be
predicted
Adjective
- a random sample
- seemingly random
- purely/totally random
- the results turned out to be random
- take a random sample of 20 people
- the robbery seemed to be entirely random
- the lottery machine picks random numbers
- a seemingly random attack
- the patterns we observed were purely random
- Noun: random
- Adverb: randomly
- Noun: randomness
- at random
- randomly generated
- each contestant picks numbers at random
- here are two examples taken at random
- the program will randomly choose the next four numbers
- randomly generated passwords
- seek to achieve randomness in your sampling
- there's a lot of randomness to life
rank
ræŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
how someone or something ranks is how
good or bad they are compared with
other similar people or things. If you
rank people or things, you say how
good or bad you think they are
compared to each other
Verb
- Russia ranks second for the number of billionaires
- the restaurant ranks highly for service
- how would you rank the four cars in order of comfort?
- a tennis player who ranks ninth in the world
- Noun: rank
- Noun: ranking
- China is now in the top rank of the world’s trading nations
- she still stands at number one in the world rankings (the list of the best players)
rank
ræŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
in some organizations such as the
army or the police, your rank is the
position or grade that you hold. A
general holds a high rank, while a
private holds the lowest rank. You can
say that the general is a high-ranking
officer. If someone started with a low
rank and now has a high rank, you can
say that they rose through the
ranks
Noun
- high/low rank
- achieve the rank of...
- rise to the rank of...
- my grandfather rose to the rank of captain
- she was lower in rank than her old schoolfriend
- a naval officer of high rank
- Combining form: -ranking
- high-ranking officers
- a top-ranking civil servant
rank
ræŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
the rank of something or someone is
their position on a scale
Noun
- China is now in the top rank of the world’s trading nations
- Verb: rank Noun: ranking
- high/low ranking
- the restaurant ranks highly for service
- how would you rank the four cars in order of comfort?
- a tennis player who ranks ninth in the world
- she still stands at number one in the world rankings
rash
ræʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
a rash is a lot of red spots on
someone’s skin caused by an illness or
a bad reaction to something they have
eaten or touched
Noun
- a heat rash
- a skin rash
- nappy rash
- a sudden rash appeared after the wasp sting
- your skin will be painful in the area where the rash appears
- a faint pink rash and a slight fever
- he tried not to scratch, although the heat rash was really itchy
- I wanted the doctor to look at my skin rash
react
riˈækt
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
when you react, you do something
because of something else that has
just happened
Verb
- the police reacted quickly and closed the roads
- he reacted to the insult by punching Mike in the face
- she reacted angrily to the comments
- customers reacted negatively to the price rises
- Noun: reaction
- his reaction to the news was to burst into tears
- the union’s immediate reaction was to call a strike
reception
rɪˈsepʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
a reception is a big formal party for
a celebration such as a wedding, or in
order to welcome someone
Noun
- a wedding reception
- a civic reception
- an official reception
- hold a reception
- a reception for 500 people was held in the evening
- delegates were welcomed to the conference at a civic reception in the town hall
- the couple were given £2,000 towards their wedding reception (to help pay for it)
recession
rɪˈseʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if there is a recession, there is
much less business activity in a
country, so some businesses do not
make enough money to survive and some
people lose their jobs
Noun
- a global/worldwide/world recession
- a deep/severe recession
- a prolonged recession
- a recession deepens
- be in recession
- the whole world is facing a global recession
- an economic recession
- the recession deepened in November
- the country is in recession
- since the recession ended, companies have created nearly 4.5 million jobs
- the economy could sink into recession again
- the measure failed to get the country out of recession
record
ˈrekɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
records are documents, photographs,
computer files etc that relate to a
particular business or activity, and
that are kept so that they can be
looked at later. The activity of
looking after records and maintaining
them is record keeping
Noun
- keep/maintain a record
- official records
- financial/health/medical records
- let me check the records
- he kept a record of every goal scored by Messi
- the official city records were destroyed during a fire
- your medical records cannot be shown to anyone except another doctor
- the system does more than just record keeping and reporting
- electronic record keeping presents many new challenges
record
rɪˈkɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to record something means to get
information and keep it using a system
so that the information will always be
available in the future
Verb
- the number of crimes recorded has fallen
- the author kept a diary recording his 1,000 days in prison
- record your results as accurately as possible
- it was officially recorded that he had committed suicide
- Noun: record
- keep/maintain a record
- official records
- financial/health/medical records
- let me check the records
- he kept a record of every goal scored by Messi
- the official city records were destroyed during a fire
- your medical records cannot be shown to anyone except another doctor
recover
rɪˈkʌvə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
to recover something means to get it
back after it was taken away, thrown
away, or almost destroyed
Verb
- he would recover things from bins
- police have recovered the stolen jewellery
- families trying to recover their possessions from the debris of their homes
- his aircraft was later recovered and repaired
- the money taken during the robbery has never been recovered
recuperation
rɪˌkuːpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
recuperation is the process of
becoming well again after being ill or
after having an operation
Noun uncount
- a period of recuperation
- rest and recuperation
- a holiday resort for recuperation after your operation
- I need a period of recuperation
- I hope you’ll find time for a little rest and recuperation
- Verb: recuperate
- recuperate from something
- she’s still recuperating from her illness
- recuperating from heart surgery
redundant
rɪˈdʌndənt
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you are made redundant, your
employer tells you that you can longer
do your job
Adjective
- be made redundant
- 10 of us were made redundant last week
- Noun: redundancy
- be faced with/face redundancy
- compulsory/voluntary redundancy
- 400 workers face redundancy
- I took voluntary redundancy
reflect
rɪˈflekt
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
if you reflect on something, you
think about it a lot
Verb
- reflect on something
- as I reflected on my actions, I had to accept that they were wrong
- Paul reflected on an enjoyable and successful year
- as she goes about her day, she reflects on her life's choices
- Noun: reflection
- Adjective: reflective
- Adverb: reflectively
- upon reflection, I think that there are several reasons
- that simple fact is worth some reflection
- he waited, sensing she was in a reflective mood
- the mayor paused and glanced at me reflectively
- Peter was staring out of the window reflectively
reflect
rɪˈflekt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to reflect the nature or truth of a
situation means to show it, by being
similar or by being a consequence of
it
Verb
- be reflected in something
- the proposed businesses reflect the different needs of the Afghan economy
- its success is reflected in increasing sales
- she said the article accurately reflected the reality
- the increase in spending on services partly reflected higher heating bills
- the lack of growth reflects a static outlook on the economy
- Noun: reflection
- a reflection of something
- the arts are a reflection of our society
- the economy is a reflection of our relationships
refreshments
rɪˈfreʃmənts
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
refreshments are small amounts of
food and drink that are provided at
some events, meetings etc
Noun plural
- light refreshments
- guests were supplied with light refreshments during the dance
- we also provide refreshments such as tea, coffee and soft drinks
- admission is £1 and refreshments are available
- a refreshment break (a pause during an activity, meeting etc. so that people can have a drink or something to eat)
refund
ˈriːfʌnd
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you get a refund, a shop gives you
back the money you paid for something
because it is broken or does not work
properly. You can also get a refund if
you have paid too much for a service
or if the service was not
acceptable
Noun
- claim/request/demand a refund
- receive/obtain a refund
- he took the watch back and they gave him a refund
- I got a tax refund
- passengers can claim a refund if they are delayed more than two hours
- we received a refund after we complained to the manager
- return order within seven days for replacement or refund if unsatisfactory
- Verb: refund
- refund monies/money
- the amount you paid will be fully refunded
- we will refund all monies you have paid us
- we will only refund tickets if the performance has been cancelled
regain
rɪˈɡeɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if you regain something good or
useful that you have lost, you get it
back again
Verb
- regain control
- regain your health
- regain consciousness
- the important thing is to rest and regain your health
- he collapsed and never regained consciousness (he died)
- Radcliffe regained the lead 500 metres from the finish and held on to win
- troops regained control of the city after a night of heavy fighting
regulatory
ˈreɡjʊlət(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
a regulatory organisation controls an
activity using rules
Adjective
- a regulatory body/authority/agency
- regulatory approval
- a regulatory system
- the regulatory environment is not very rigorous
- the regulatory authority
- a government regulatory agency
- the regulatory controls to which unions are required to conform
- Verb: regulate
- the government body that regulates the banking industry
- the use of these drugs is strictly regulated
reject
rɪˈdʒekt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if you reject something, you say that
you will no longer do it or use it or
believe in it
Verb
- categorically/flatly reject something
- reject something outright
- he rejected violence in favour of farming
- this idea was rejected many years ago
- we reject and condemn such behaviour
- the minister categorically rejected the findings of the report
- he rejects outright the concept of global warming
- Noun: rejection
- the rejection of his ideas was disappointing
- an outright rejection of the proposal
relations
rɪˈleɪʃ(ə)nz
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
relations between people or groups or
groups of people are how well or badly
they are able to live or work together
Noun
- better police training has led to improved relations with the community
- relations between the two religious groups were good
- relations are once again strained between Ken and Deirdre (they are not happy together)
- the new trade agreement strengthened relations between the two countries
release
rɪˈliːs
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
when something is released, it is
able to move out of a container where
it has been stored and can move freely
in the atmosphere
Verb
- lead particles are released into the atmosphere
- the explosion released a cloud of smoke into the air
- the sun releases its energy in various forms
- a pipe in the heating system broke loose, releasing gas into the building
- Noun: release
- large releases of radioactivity from nuclear reactors are extremely rare
release
rɪˈliːs
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
if a prisoner is released from
prison, he or she is allowed to leave
because they have finished their
punishment
Verb
- he was released early for good behaviour
- they were pardoned and released after three months in prison
- the prisoners were released the following morning
- his crime was so serious the judge recommended he never be released
- Noun: release
- demanding the release of all political prisoners
- his early release was granted because of good behaviour
relief
rɪˈliːf
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
if you get relief from pain, the pain
becomes less or stops altogether
Noun uncount
- relief from something
- pain/stress relief
- effective relief
- effective methods of pain relief
- the injections provided temporary relief from stress and helped her sleep
- he felt relief spread through his body as the drugs took effect
- Verb: relieve
- a good way to relieve stress
- this should help relieve the pain
- having a neck massage is one way to relieve headaches
relief
rɪˈliːf
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if something is a relief, it manages
to stop you worrying about a bad or
difficult situation. If something
provides relief from pain, it stops
the pain for a while
Noun
- it must have been a relief to get your money back
- it was such a relief to know I’d passed the exam
- effective methods of pain relief
- Verb: relieve
- a good way to relieve stress
- this should help relieve the pain
- ways to relieve the pressure at work
reluctant
rɪˈlʌktənt
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you are reluctant to do something,
you do not really want to do it
Adjective
- be reluctant to do something
- I was a bit reluctant to talk about it
- she seemed reluctant to take the job
- I felt reluctant to ask for more money
- he was initially reluctant, but finally agreed to do it
- Adverb: reluctantly
- Noun: reluctance
- reluctantly agree/accept (to do something)
- with reluctance
- great reluctance
- he came with us rather reluctantly
- the driver reluctantly admitted that he'd been going too fast
- the Board reluctantly accepted her resignation
- I couldn’t understand his reluctance to go on the trip
- with great reluctance he handed over the money
- she accepted with some slight show of reluctance
reluctantly
rɪˈlʌktəntli
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
if you do something reluctantly, you
do it even though you do not really
want to
Adverb
- reluctantly agree/accept
- the woodcutter reluctantly agreed
- he came with us, rather reluctantly
- the driver reluctantly admitted that he'd been going too fast
- the Board reluctantly accepted her resignation
- Adjective: reluctant
- Noun: reluctance
- be reluctant to do something
- with reluctance
- great reluctance
- I was a bit reluctant to talk about it
- she seemed reluctant to take the job
- I felt reluctant to ask for more money
- I couldn’t understand his reluctance to go on the trip
- with great reluctance he handed over the money
- she accepted with some slight show of reluctance
remains
rɪˈmeɪnz
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
the remains of someone or something
are all that is left of them after
they have died or been destroyed
Noun plural
- human/animal remains
- the remains of someone/something
- archaeologists uncovered the remains of three 12th century monks
- traces of human remains in the cellar
- the charred remains of the house (what was left after a fire)
remake
ˈriːˌmeɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
if a film is a remake, it has the
same story and usually the same title
as a film that already exists
Noun
- a remake of “The Italian Job”
- a television remake was produced in 2006
- a 1983 remake starring Al Pacino
- the remake was a total flop (nobody came to see it and it failed to make any money)
- Verb: remake
- the show has been remade several times
remarkable
rɪˈmɑː(r)kəb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if someone or something is
remarkable, they are unusual and
impressive in a way that is easily
noticed
Adjective
- truly/quite remarkable
- a remarkable achievement
- the remarkable CEO of Mfarm
- becoming head of department at the age of 27 was a remarkable achievement
- the heart is a remarkable organ
- the way he paints is quite remarkable
- a truly remarkable skill
- Adverb: remarkably
- Antonym – Adjective unremarkable
- the service was remarkably reliable
- he gave a number of unremarkable speeches during the election campaign
remarkable
rəˈmɑː(r)kəb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
someone or something that is
remarkable is unusual and
impressive
Adjective
- truly/quite remarkable
- we met some truly remarkable people
- he’s quite remarkable for an 18-year-old
- a remarkable journey
- she made a remarkable recovery
- it’s a remarkable achievement
- Adverb: remarkably
- remarkably similar
- he did remarkably well in his exams
- she still seems remarkably fit and healthy
- their conclusions were remarkably similar
remove
rɪˈmuːv
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
when surgeons remove a part of
someone’s body, they do an operation
to take it out because it has become
damaged or diseased and will cause
someone to be seriously ill or die if
it stays in their body
Verb
- a six-hour operation to remove the tumour
- an appendectomy is an operation to remove someone’s appendix
- a surgical procedure to remove the lump
- Noun: removal
- removal of the cancerous growth and the surrounding tissue
- removal of the tumour was a difficult procedure
renew
rɪˈnjuː
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
if you renew an official document
such as a driving licence or passport,
you extend the time during which it
can be used
Verb
- renew a passport/licence/contract
- you need to renew your driving licence before the end of the month
- luckily my contract was renewed for another three years
- it costs £100 and takes three weeks to renew a passport now
- Noun: renewal Adjective: renewable
- a renewal date
- a renewal fee
- a renewal notice
- a renewal application
- renewable for 2/4/ etc years
- be up for renewal
- an annual renewal fee of £75
- please check that the address on your renewal notice is correct
- send your form in at least five days before the renewal date
- the lease is for two years, renewable for a further two
- the end of the first year of her renewable contract
- my contract is up for renewal in June (will need to be renewed then)
rental
ˈrent(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
rental is the arrangement you have
when you rent something from
someone
Noun uncount
- car rental
- equipment rental
- monthly rental
- make sure you keep up to date with your rental payments
- a short-term rental contract
- we both had to sign the vehicle rental agreement
- the biggest equipment rental company in the UK
- a monthly rental charge of £15 for the phone line
- Verb: rent
- Noun: rent
- annual/monthly/weekly rent
- owe rent
- we rented a cottage overlooking the sea
- you owe two months’ rent
- the monthly rent went up by £40
reoffending
rɪəˈfendɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
reoffending is the act of committing
another crime after having been caught
and punished once already
Noun uncount
- the judge said he had an extremely high risk of reoffending
- we need to tackle the high rate of reoffending
- reoffending rates must be cut
- the lowest reoffending rate in Europe
- Verb: reoffend
- there’s a very high chance that he’ll reoffend
- people who persistently reoffend while on bail
replacement
rɪˈpleɪsmənt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
a replacement is something that takes
the place of another thing that you no
longer have or can use
Noun
- a replacement for something
- they gave him a replacement for his watch
- a hip replacement (an artificial hip used to replace someone’s real hip)
- the current replacement cost is £350
- some of the furniture requires replacement
- several of the sales team are leaving, so we’ll have to find replacements for them
- if a suitable replacement is not available, a full refund will be issued
- a replacement TV
- Verb: replace
- we need to replace the batteries
- the V8 engine was replaced by a new unit
- a brick wall replaced the old wooden fence
repossess
ˌriːpəˈzes
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if your house is repossessed, a bank
takes it back from you because you
have not been paying back the money
you borrowed to buy it
Verb
- last year, over 3,000 homes were repossessed
- the bank threatened to repossess the flat
- the bank will sell the house as soon as possible after repossessing it
- Noun: repossession
- your home is at risk of repossession if you fail to maintain the payments
- the number of repossessions doubled last year
reservation
ˌrezə(r)ˈveɪʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if you make a reservation, you ask a
hotel to keep a room for you, a
restaurant to keep a table for you,
etc.
Noun
- make a reservation
- cancel a reservation
- confirm a reservation
- we have no record of any reservation
- I’d like to make a reservation
- do you have a reservation for us?
- a reservation in the name of Smith
- I cancelled the reservation
- when your deposit is paid your reservation is confirmed
- Verb: reserve
- Adjective: reserved
- I’d like to reserve a table for tomorrow evening
- you can reserve tickets in advance
- I’m sorry, this seat is reserved
reserves
rɪˈzɜː(r)v
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
a reserve is an amount of something
that is kept so that it can be made
available when it is needed
Noun
- currency/cash reserves
- be kept in reserve
- build up a reserve
- fuel reserves
- oil/gas/coal reserves
- we have reserves of foreign currency on the premises at all times
- we had no more cash left in reserve
- Abu Dhabi has major oil reserves
- US gold reserves fell alarmingly
residential
ˌrezɪˈdenʃ(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a residential area is one where most
of the buildings are houses and flats
where people live, rather than shops
or offices
Adjective
- a residential area/neighbourhood/suburb
- new residential areas are still being developed
- the campus is largely surrounded by residential neighbourhoods
- the suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry to the south
- a mix of commercial, residential and industrial areas
- Noun: resident
- Noun: residence
- local residents were told to stay inside
- the city centre has few residents left
- the fire destroyed several residences nearby
- his residence stood in the centre of the little town
resign
rɪˈzaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you resign, you say officially
that you are leaving your job
Verb
- resign from something
- resign as something
- resign something
- I’m going to try and presuade her not to resign
- he’s resigning from his job
- he may be forced to resign as prime minister
- he resigned his post as ambassador to the United Nations
- she threatened to resign
- Noun: resignation
- hand in/submit/tender your resignation
- demand/accept someone’s resignation
- call for someone’s resignation
- I’ve handed in my resignation
- he’s announced his resignation from the government
- protestors have called for her resignation
- reluctantly she accepted his resignation
resist
rɪˈzɪst
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you resist something you like, you
stop yourself from doing it or having
it even though you want to. If you
resist something you don't want, you
try to stop it from happening
Verb
- resist (doing) something
- resist (the) temptation (to do something)
- he resisted arrest by the police
- will he resist the temptation to interfere?
- I can never resist chocolate
- I couldn’t resist having a look inside
- it’s difficult to resist an offer like that
- the bank has resisted increasing its charges
- some people try to resist change
- he resisted pressure from his parents to marry
- Adjective: resistant
- Noun: resistance
- be resistant to something
- resistance to something
- the employees had been very resistant to change
- they remain resistant to his efforts to get them to resign
- there was local resistance to the plans
- seeing that resistance was useless, Kidd surrendered
- she is in no mood to offer resistance
resistance
rɪˈzɪst(ə)ns
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
resistance to something is a refusal
to accept it willingly
Noun uncount
- resistance to something
- resistance to a new culture
- there’s considerable resistance to the proposals
- the plans met with a lot of resistance from local people
- they put up quite a bit of resistance
- strong resistance to change still remains
- Adjective: resistant
- Verb: resist
- be resistant to something
- the employees had been very resistant to change
- Alan remained resistant to the idea
- he spent his life resisting change
- she resisted the pressure to resign
resolve
rɪˈzɒlv
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you resolve a problem, you find a
solution to it
Verb
- resolve a problem/issue
- be resolved satisfactorily/peacefully
- it will be difficult to resolve the situation
- in the end, everything was resolved
- the matter hasn’t been fully resolved
- they want to resolve things quickly
- let’s hope things can be resolved peacefully
- the issue was resolved within three hours
- Noun: resolution
- everyone is hoping for a quick resolution of the conflict
- we believe we have achieved a satisfactory resolution to the problem
resort to
rɪˈzɔː(r)t ˌtʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
to resort to an extreme course of
action means to do it only because
other courses of action have not been
successful
Phrasal verb
- resort to doing something
- resort to violence
- the government had to resort to raising the price of petrol to preserve supplies
- extremists on both sides will resort to violence
- you can train children for life without resorting to punishment
- she finally had to resort to legal action
- Noun: resort
- a last resort
- we’d only do this as a last resort (if everything else has failed)
respects
rɪˈspekts
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
respect is a feeling or attitude
towards someone that recognises their
good qualities and is polite and
admiring. If you send your respects to
someone, you send them a polite
greeting. If you pay your last
respects to someone, you show your
respect or admiration for them by
going to their funeral and seeing
their coffin
Noun plural
- hundreds of former pupils paid their respects at her funeral last week
- family and friends have paid their last respects to Jim, who died two weeks ago
- undertakers were worried that no one would be there to pay their last respects
responsibility
rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪti
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you have responsibility for
something or someone, it is your job
to do what is necessary to deal with
them and make sure that everything
happens properly
Noun uncount
- take/assume/accept responsibility (for someone/something)
- delegate/assign responsibility
- She accepted responsibility for the sales department
- we delegated the responsibility to Walters
- Adjective: responsible
- directly/ultimately responsible
- mainly/principally responsible
- who is the officer responsible for safety?
- the school principal is ultimately responsible for standards
restless
ˈres(t)ləs
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
someone who is restless does not like
staying in the same place for long and
is always looking for new things to do
and new places to go to
Adjective
- a restless spirit
- grow/become restless
- he was a restless spirit, and never spent more than two weeks at home
- after dinner, he grew restless and went for a walk
- the doctor became increasingly restless
- Noun: restlessness
- Adverb: restlessly
- move/pace restlessly
- I could see signs of restlessness in his behaviour
- Alan was pacing restlessly about the room
- moving restlessly from one city to another
restore
rɪˈstɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
to restore something that has been
badly damaged means to mend it so that
it returns to its original
condition
Verb
- the painting couldn’t be restored
- the cottage was completely restored in 2007
- the aims of the society are to preserve and restore the canal
- the building was restored and reopened in 1979
- Noun: restoration
- the painting underwent significant restoration
- when restoration was complete, the castle reopened to visitors
restriction
rɪˈstrɪkʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
a restriction is an official limit or
control on what you are allowed to
do
Noun
- a severe/tough restriction
- financial restriction
- travel restriction
- impose a restriction
- lift a restriction
- severe financial restrictions have prevented further house building
- the government lifted all trade and travel restrictions (stopped the restrictions and allowed trade and travel to happen again)
- some employers imposed restrictions on the activities of trade unions
- Verb: restrict
- Adjective: restricted
- a government plan to restrict public spending
- the constitution restricted the ownership of private property
- our finances are severely restricted
- daily visitor numbers are strictly restricted
retain
rɪˈteɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if you retain something or someone,
you are able to stop them leaving and
can carry on using them or getting
benefit from them
Verb
- it costs less to retain customers than to find new ones
- the company is trying to retain staff by offering large bonuses
- she insisted on retaining control of the company
- every company needs to attract and retain their salespeople
- Noun: retention
- staff retention is a major problem at the factory
- a strong brand builds loyalty and customer retention
reveal
rɪˈviːl
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if something reveals a fact or
something that was not known before,
it makes it known
Verb
- the problem revealed a dark side to the new world
- the investigation revealed the causes of the accident
- the research revealed several significant trends
- the truth was finally revealed in the last chapter
- Adjective: revealing
- Noun: revelation
- the expression on her face was particularly revealing
- the letter included some revealing details
- recent revelations about the minister forced his resignaton
- various revelations emerged during the trial
reveal
rɪˈviːl
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
to reveal something means to make it
known, especially when it was
something that was previously unknown
or secret
Verb
- a report/survey reveals something
- the report revealed a total of 256 cases of burglary over the last year
- the man’s identity has not yet been revealed
- the minister revealed plans to limit immigration
- this newspaper can exclusively reveal the date of the next election
- he had to resign after it was revealed that he had taken drugs at university
- Noun: revelation
- the revelation came as a surprise to his friends, and even to his family
- revelations about her private life
- today's revelation that the Government listened in on thousands of phone conversations
- the more surprising revelation was that this had been going on for years
revenge
rɪˈvendʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
revenge is the action of doing
something harmful or bad to someone
because you think they did something
bad or harmful to you
Noun uncount
- seek revenge
- take/get revenge
- relatives of the victim were seeking revenge
- she got her revenge by accusing him of theft
- 12 people died in a revenge attack
- police suspect a revenge killing
- Verb: revenge
- revenge yourself (by doing something)
- he revenged himself by stealing the car keys
- he was determined to revenge his father’s murder
reverse
rɪˈvɜː(r)s
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
to reverse something means to change
it to the opposite
Verb
- these measures could reverse the downward spiral
- an attempt to reverse the decline in tourism
- the High Court reversed the decision
- the downward trend has not yet been reversed
- Noun: reversal
- the economy underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008
- he said this represented a reversal of the government's policy
revolutionary
ˌrevəˈluːʃ(ə)n(ə)ri
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
something that is revolutionary is
new in a way that is very different
from what came before it
Adjective
- a revolutionary new product
- her poetry was revolutionary when it was first published
- a revolutionary approach to language learning
- a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking
- Verb: revolutionise
- the advent of the internet has revolutionised our lives
- electronic cigarettes have revolutionised the tobacco industry
reward
rɪˈwɔː(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
a reward is something valuable that
you get because you have done
something well or done something
helpful for someone
Noun
- if you do it right, the rewards are much greater than the risks
- rewards such as extra holiday were offered to the most productive team
- the approach used is simple reward-based learning
- seeing the patient recover was reward enough
- Verb: reward
- Adjective: rewarding
- be handsomely/generously rewarded
- richly/immensely/hugely rewarding
- they were handsomely rewarded for their hard work
- our patience was rewarded when the results were announced
- teaching is an immensely rewarding job
- the whole experience was very rewarding
rewarding
rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
an activity that is rewarding is good
because you get pleasure or some
benefit from it
Adjective
- hugely/richly rewarding
- a rewarding hobby/pastime
- a rewarding experience
- the journey was a hugely rewarding experience
- Verb: reward Noun: reward
- enjoy/obtain/get a reward (for/from something)
- he reaped the rewards for all his hard work
- she was rewarded with promotion to sergeant
rib
rɪb
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your ribs are the 12 pairs of bones
in the middle of your body that form a
cage around your heart and chest
Noun
- broken/fractured/sore/bruised ribs
- he left the field with a rib injury
- he suffered injuries to his rib cage
- a warning pain in his ribs made him stay still
- he was so thin you could see all his ribs
- my friend was badly injured with bruised ribs, black eyes and a fat lip
rigorous
ˈrɪɡərəs
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if something is rigorous, it is
careful and thorough
Adjective
- rigorous standards
- rigorous training
- a rigorous analysis/approach
- the regulatory environment is not very rigorous
- rigorous safety checks
- all products have to meet our rigorous quality standards
- a rigorous analysis of potential needs
- Noun: rigour
- Adverb: rigorously
- rigorously enforce/apply/control
- intellectual/academic/scientific rigour
- it’s all rigorously checked
- spending is rigorously controlled
- these rules must be rigorously applied
- the academic rigour of the historian's method
- greater economic rigour will be needed over the coming years
riot
ˈraɪət
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
a riot is a violent protest in the
streets by a large number of
people
Noun
- cause/spark a riot
- suppress/put down a riot
- a riot in the capital
- high prices led to food riots in the cities
- rising unemployment has sparked riots
- the army were called in to put down the riot
- riots broke out after the announcement
- Noun: rioter
- police used tear gas on the rioters
- around 450 of the rioters were arrested
rip
rɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a rip is a long cut or hole in some
cloth or paper
Noun
- he tried to mend the rip in his trousers
- there’s a rip in the sheet
- there were no rips or tears in the leather
- Verb: rip
- Adjective: ripped
- I’ve ripped my jacket
- she ripped the letter open
- look – it’s ripped
- wearing ripped jeans
- his clothes were ripped to shreds (badly ripped)
ripped
rɪpt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if paper or cloth is ripped, it has a
long tear or hole in it
Adjective
- the curtains are ripped
- wearing ripped jeans
- his clothes were ripped to shreds (badly ripped)
- Verb: rip
- Noun: rip
- I’ve ripped my jeans
- she ripped the letter open
- he tried to mend the rip in his trousers
- there’s a rip in the sheet
- there were no rips or tears in the leather
rise
raɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
a rise is an increase in the amount
of money that you earn from your
job
Noun
- a pay/salary rise
- I got a pay rise last month
- they offered me a rise of £10 a week
- unions are demanding a 7% rise
- Verb: rise
- wages rise/salaries rise/pay rises
- wages have risen 10%
- my pay hasn’t risen for three years
rite
raɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
rites are traditional ceremonies or
activities that happen at significant
moments in the year or significant
moments in someone’s life
Noun
- last rites
- initiation rites
- burial/funeral rites
- Hindu rites that are carried out at birth
- he was given the last rites (special prayers said by a priest when someone is about to die)
- the place where Gandhi’s funeral rites were performed
- these rites mark the cycle of life – birth, marriage, death
- a rite of passage (a ceremony to mark the time when someone reaches a particular stage in their life, for example becoming an adult)
- Adjective: ritual
- the ritual wedding feast
rival
ˈraɪv(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
a rival is a person or organisation
who is competing with you to achieve
the same things
Noun
- someone’s main/nearest/chief/closest/fiercest rival
- a bitter/deadly rival
- his closest rival was injured two weeks before the race
- they’d been bitter rivals for 20 years, but now they've found friendship
- Radcliffe finished nearly two minutes ahead of her nearest rival
- Noun: rivalry
- fierce/bitter rivalry
- sibling rivalry
- rivalry between people
- the rivalry between the two cities occasionally erupted into violence
- a bitter rivalry that lasted 20 years
- sibling rivalry (rivalry between brothers or sisters)
role
rəʊl
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
a role is a particular character in a
play or film that is played by an
actor
Noun
- play a role
- a lead/leading role
- a minor role
- a starring role
- he played the leading role in Woody Allen’s latest film
- she played the role of Harry Potter’s mother
- the lead role (the most important character)
- a minor role (a not very important character)
- Sean Connery had the starring role in the first James Bond films (the role for the biggest star in the film)
root
ruːt
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
the roots of a plant are the parts
under the ground that send food up to
the plant above the ground. The roots
of a person or a tradition are the
place, culture, and family that they
come from
Noun
- go back/return to your roots
- an art form that has deep roots in Spanish history
- some people cut themselves off from their roots
- she felt the need to go back to her roots
- he wanted to return to his Irish roots
- I brought my mother here to rediscover her childhood roots
- Adjective: rooted
- these ceremonies are rooted in centuries-old tradition
root
ruːt
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
the roots of a plant are the parts
under the ground that send food up to
the plant above the ground. A person’s
roots are the place, culture, and
family that they come from
Noun
- go back/return to your roots
- some people cut themselves off from their roots
- an art form that has deep roots in Spanish history
- she felt the need to go back to her roots
- he wanted to return to his Irish roots
- I brought my mother here to rediscover her childhood roots
- Adjective: rooted
- these ceremonies are rooted in centuries-old tradition
root
ruːt
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
the roots of a plant are the parts
under the ground that send food up to
the plant above the ground
Noun
- all that water has rotted the roots
- the vine has put down strong roots
- a tree with an extensive root system
- the roots grew sideways and damaged the wall
root
ruːt
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
the root of a problem is its main or
original cause
Noun
- the root cause(s) (of something)
- the root causes are interconnected
- bad diet lies at the root of a lot of health problems
- the war had religion at its root
rot
rɒt
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
if something rots, it decays through
natural processes
Verb
- if you give the plant too much water, the roots will rot
- too much water will rot the roots
- the fruit was rotting in the bowl
- the old wood had rotted
- eating too much sugar will rot your teeth
- Noun: rot
- Adjective: rotting
- Adjective: rotten
- the house was full of damp and rot
- extensive rot in the window frame
- covering up the trunk with extra soil can cause rot
- the smell of rotting food
- the bin was full of rotting fish
- a strong smell of rotten eggs
- he had a mouthful of rotten teeth
rough
rʌf
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a rough area, school, or other place
is one where there is a lot of crime
and violence
Adjective
- tourists should keep away from such rough areas
- it was the roughest school in the town
- Watson grew up in a rough neighbourhood of Kansas City
- his day to day struggles in the rough streets of Mumbai
routine
ruːˈtiːn
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a routine is a set pattern of actions
that happen regularly and often in the
same order
Noun
- a daily routine
- things gradually settled into a routine
- the walk home from the station was his favourite time in the daily routine
- the next day I began what became my usual routine
- a good bedtime routine can help you fall asleep quicker
- Adjective: routine
- Adverb: routinely
- a routine inspection (one that happens regularly)
- has it become routine to stay at your desk till 6.30 pm?
- the database is routinely updated
- schools are routinely inspected once every three years
row
raʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you have a row with someone, you
have a very noisy or emotional
argument with them
Noun
- a blazing/furious/heated row
- a bitter/fierce row
- a row about something
- he stormed out after another blazing row
- let’s not have a row about it
- Verb: row
- they spent the whole weekend rowing
- let’s not row about it
rub
rʌb
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
if you rub a part of your body, you
use your hand to press on it and move
your hand backwards and forwards. If
you rub something into a surface, you
press it into the surface by pushing
it backwards and forwards across the
surface
Verb
- rub some salt into the meat
- she sat up and rubbed her eyes
- he was rubbing his hair with a towel
- my shoes were rubbing (they were pressing against my feet in a painful way)
rule
ruːl
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if someone in authority rules
something, they make an official
decision and announce it. For example,
if a judge rules that someone is too
ill to stand trial, then that person
does not have to go on trial
Verb
- rule that
- rule in favour of someone
- rule against someone
- the court ruled in her favour
- the tribunal ruled that he had been unfairly dismissed from his job
- her death was initially ruled an accident
- the court ruled against him
- Noun: ruling
- the judge made a ruling in favour of the defendant
- the court issued a ruling overturning the ban
run
rʌn
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
when buses or trains run, they follow
their usual route from one place to
another
Verb
- how often do the buses run?
- a regular train service to Birmmingham runs every 20 minutes
- we run two buses an hour in each direction
- trains don’t run on Christmas day
run
rʌn
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
a good or bad run is a period of time
when things go well or badly for
you
Noun
- a winning/good run
- a losing/bad run
- a run of wins/victories
- a run of defeats/losses
- his team had been on a terrible run
- Hamilton extended his winning run to six races
- Everton ended their four-game losing run
- a run of bad luck
run up
ˈrʌn ʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you run up a debt or a bill, you
spend money or order goods with the
result that you owe a lot of
money
Phrasal verb
- run up a debt
- run up a bill
- he ran up huge debts trying to keep his company going
- she ran up a massive mobile phone bill
- I ran up a sizeable debt at university
- a New York resident who ran up a credit card bill of $20,000
run-down
rʌn ˈdaʊn
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a building that is run-down is not in
good condition because it is old and
hasn’t been looked after well. You can
also say that an area of a town or
city is run-down
Adjective
- some run-down buildings
- the school is rather run-down
- a run-down inner city area
- some parts of the city are very run-down
- huge areas of run-down, poor quality housing
run-up
ˈrʌnʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
the run-up to an event is the period
of time leading up to it
Noun singular
- the run-up to something
- things got very busy in the run-up to Christmas
- he worked for his MP during the run-up to the election
- it’s important to eat properly in the run-up to the exams
rush
rʌʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you rush somewhere or rush to do
something, you try and go there as
soon as you can or you try and do it
as quickly as possible
Verb
- rush to do something
- no need to rush, the train’s not due for another ten minutes
- he rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news
- people rushed to lift the car off him
- he rushed in ten minutes late for the lesson
- we all rushed out when the fire alarm went off
- Noun: rush
- (be) in a rush
- a great rush
- a mad/frantic rush
- a sudden rush
- a rush to do something
- we were in a rush to get to the station
- a sudden rush for the exit (people suddenly trying to get out of a building quickly)
- I can’t stop to talk, I’m in an awful rush!
- a mad rush to buy the latest iPhone
sack
sæk
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
if someone sacks you or if you get
sacked, you are officially told by
your employer that you no longer have
a job, usually because you did
something wrong or because you did not
work well enough
Verb
- sack someone from something
- sack someone for (doing) something
- she sacked her coach after a string of defeats
- he was sacked for stealing from the kitchens
- the company sacked him for passing secrets to a rival
- Williams, 47, was sacked from his post as finance director
- Noun: sack
- Noun: sacking
- give someone the sack
- get the sack
- getting the sack was the start of his troubles
- she threatened to give me the sack if I didn’t finish the project in time
- there’ve been several sackings since Christmas in an attempt to save the company money
- More than 30 managers lost their jobs this morning, and further sackings are sure to follow
- a sacking offence (an action that is so seriously wrong that it can result in someone getting the sack)
sack
sæk
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if someone sacks you or if you get
sacked, you are officially told by
your employer that you no longer have
a job, usually because you did
something wrong or because you did not
work well enough
Verb
- sack someone from something
- sack someone for (doing) something
- he was sacked for stealing from the kitchens
- the company sacked him for passing secrets to a rival
- Williams, 47, was sacked from his post as finance director
- Noun: sack
- Noun: sacking
- give someone the sack
- get the sack
- getting the sack was the start of his troubles
- she threatened to give me the sack if I didn’t finish the project in time
- there’ve been several sackings since Christmas in an attempt to save the company money
- More than 30 managers lost their jobs this morning, and further sackings are sure to follow
- a sacking offence (an action that is so seriously wrong that it can result in someone getting the sack)
safe
seɪf
Upper Intermediate
pp88-89
if you do something to be on the safe
side, you do not take any risks
because you want to be sure you will
not fail or have any problems
Adjective
- take a torch to be on the safe side
- take your credit card as well to be on the safe side
- we’d better leave by ten to be on the safe side
sake
seɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
for the sake of something means for
that purpose. For the sake of a person
means for that person’s benefit
Noun singular
- don’t continue arguing just for the sake of not losing face
- do it for the sake of your health
- laws that are necessary for the sake of the whole community
- I only did it for your sake
- do it for your own sake
- let’s not argue, for the children’s sake
- for my dear mother's sake, I will be a friend to you
sarcastic
sɑː(r)ˈkæstɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if someone is sarcastic, they say
something that is the opposite of what
they mean in order to mock someone or
to be funny
Adjective
- I think he’s being sarcastic
- he said something sarcastic
- he made a sarcastic comment
- she ignored his sarcastic response
- Noun: sarcasm
- Adverb: sarcastically
- there was a touch of sarcasm in his voice
- “how generous,” he said, with heavy sarcasm
- “Brilliant,” she said sarcastically
- he sarcastically asked if I felt all right
scam
skæm
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
a scam is a dishonest and illegal way
of getting money from people by
cheating them
Noun
- an insurance/investment scam
- be careful to avoid scams
- a money-making scam
- a credit-card scam
- luckily, we realised it was a scam before we handed over any money
- a major insurance scam
- Verb: scam
- a gang scamming households across the city
- anyone who’s been scammed dreams of getting revenge
scandal
ˈskænd(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
a scandal is a situation in which
shocking information about someone or
something becomes public
Noun
- it caused a huge public scandal
- a scandal engulfed the royal family
- the scandal involved two major banks
- in the last days of 1990 a new scandal broke (became known about)
- stories of corruption, scandal and government incompetence
- Adjective: scandalous
- Adverb: scandalously
- he denied all the rumours of scandalous behaviour
- a scandalous affair involving forged bank notes
- she scandalously ran away to Hamburg with a German engineer
- this statement has been attacked as scandalously inaccurate
sceptical
ˈskeptɪk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
someone who is sceptical about
something is not sure if it is true
and wants to check all the facts
before they believe it
Adjective
- be sceptical about/of something
- highly/deeply sceptical
- remain sceptical
- I’m deeply sceptical about the whole plan
- a sceptical attitude
- despite the conclusions of the report, he remained sceptical about the idea
- Noun: sceptic Noun: scepticism Adverb: sceptically
- a good deal of scepticism
- a degree of scepticism
- widespread scepticism
- scepticism about something
- when it comes to climate change, he’s still a sceptic
- she listened to the explantion sceptically
- the sceptics were still not convinced
- the plan was greeted with a degree of scepticism
scratched
skrætʃt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
if something is scratched, it has a
small cut or mark on its surface
Adjective
- the screen was scratched
- how did the table get scratched?
- his clothes were torn and his face was scratched
- the top of the desk was all scratched
- avoid using old, scratched plastic bottles
- Verb: scratch
- Noun: scratch
- mind you don’t scratch the car
- the back of the door handle had scratched the paint
- there was a scratch on the windscreen
- there were tiny little scratches on the glass
seated
ˈsiːtɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if someone is seated, they are
sitting down. If they are seated on
something, they are sitting on
it
Adjective
- a young man with a white cat seated on his lap
- she remained seated on the floor
- she was seated on the grass
- please remain seated until the plane has stopped
- Verb: seat
- I sat down and he seated himself beside me
secure
sɪˈkjʊə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if you secure something, you make
sure you get it or achieve it, often
after a lot of effort
Verb
- farmers worked hard to secure a good harvest
- we are working hard to secure more tickets for everyone
- 90% of our students secured permanent jobs within three months of graduating
- we secured several government contracts last year
seed
siːd
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a seed is a small part of a plant
that grows into a new plant when it is
in the soil. If you talk about a seed
or the seeds of something, you are
talking about the start of a new
process or development
Noun
- sow/scatter seeds
- I bought some seeds to grow some herbs in my kitchen
- soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting them
- planting carrots is done by sowing seed
- it’s just the seed of an idea at the moment
- his writing scattered the seeds of revolutionary ideas across Europe
- they are sowing the seeds of unrest
seize
siːz
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
to seize an opportunity means to take
the opportunity as soon as it becomes
possible and before it goes away
again
Verb
- he advised me to seize every opportunity to learn
- while Dent was away she seized the opportunity to reorganise the department
- he seized the chance for escape
seize
siːz
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if the police or other authorities
seize something, they take it by force
and do not return it because it is
illegal or stolen
Verb
- police seized $20 million worth of cocaine
- computers and documents were seized by the tax authorities
- the packages were seized as evidence during the arrests
- most of his assets were seized to pay his debts (his money and property was legally taken from him because he owed money)
self-conscious
self ˈkɒnʃəs
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
if you are self-conscious, you feel
embarrassed about what you look like
and think that everyone is looking at
you and making a judgement about you
Adjective
- I’m always self-conscious when I dance
- I felt a bit self-conscious
- it makes me self-conscious when everyone looks at me
- he’s starting to get self-conscious about his weight
- she was too self-conscious and didn't dare try speaking German
- Adverb: self-consciously
- Noun: self-consciousness
- she smiled rather self-consciously
- I self-consciously handed the letter to Caroline
- the change from self-confidence to self-consciousness
- self-consciousness is the measurement of how easily someone is embarrassed
sentence
ˈsentəns
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
someone’s sentence is the punishment
that a judge decides they must have
after they have been found guilty of a
crime
Noun
- serve a sentence
- a prison/jail sentence
- a life sentence
- the death sentence
- pass sentence
- hand down a sentence
- he only served half his sentence
- they both received long prison sentences
- the judge handed down a life sentence
- the judge waited a week before passing sentence
- drug smugglers risk the death sentence
- Verb: sentence
- Noun: sentencing
- sentence someone to something
- a military court sentenced him to death
- he was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison
- the trial was adjourned until 13 October for sentencing (the statement by the judge saying what the sentence will be)
sentence
ˈsentəns
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if someone is sentenced to a period
of time in jail, a court has found
them guilty of a crime and the judge
announces how long they will have to
spend in jail
Verb
- sentence someone to something
- he could be sentenced to 10 years in jail
- the judge sentenced him to four years in prison
- Noun: sentence
- Noun: sentencing
- hand down a sentence
- the judge pronounced sentence
- it was the longest sentence that could be handed down
- there is a minimum sentence of five years for this sort of crime
- the trial was adjourned until 13 October for sentencing (the statement by the judge saying what the sentence will be)
serve
sɜː(r)v
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to serve in a game such as tennis
means to start the game by hitting the
ball to your opponent
Verb
- Murray chose to serve in the first game
- I served a double fault
- it’s Federer to serve next
- she’s served brilliantly in this match
- Noun: serve
- a fantastic serve
- his first serve was out
- she’s finding it difficult to return Serena Williams’ serve
set foot
ˌset ˈfʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you say that you have never set
foot somewhere, you are emphasizing
that you never went there, even though
it is likely that you would have
done
Phrase
- barely/never set foot
- for two weeks I barely set foot outside the flat
- I’ll never set foot in that house again!
set off
ˈset ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
to set off a device that will explode
or make a noise means to make it
explode or make a noise
Phrasal verb
- people were setting off fireworks in the street
- burglars set off the alarm when they broke the door down
- the phone ringing set the dogs off barking
- terrorists set off two bombs in the shopping centre
set off
ˈset ˌɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
if you set off, you start a journey.
If you set off for somewhere, you
start your journey to go to that place
Phrasal verb
- we set off for home at 5
- it’s time to set off
- she set off to walk the two miles back to her flat
- they set off on a three-day holiday trip to Edinburgh
set out
ˈset ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you set out to do something, you
start trying to do it
Phrasal verb
- a colleague might be genuinely setting out to block your ideas
- I’m setting out to win this competition
- I never set out to hurt you
- the study set out to examine television coverage of the war in Iraq
- she’s achieved everything she set out to do
set up
ˈset ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
to set something up means to do what
is necessary for it all to work
properly
Phrasal verb
- we set up the sound system outside the town hall
- she spent the evening setting up her new computer
- the lighting in the theatre had been very badly set up
settle
ˈset(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if snow settles, it stays on the
ground when it lands and does not turn
to water straight away
Verb
- the snow had started to settle
- the roads were still clear but the snow had settled in the fields
- overnight snow will settle on high ground
settle
ˈset(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
if something settles your stomach, it
stops your stomach feeling
uncomfortable and likely to make you
sick
Verb
- it will settle your stomach
- after I’d had the tea, my stomach settled
settle
ˈset(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
if you settle a problem or dispute,
you find an acceptable solution to it
Verb
- settle a claim/dispute/matter
- they hope the matter can be settled quickly
- the case was settled out of court (they agreed a solution and the case didn’t need to go to court)
- her insurance claim was finally settled for £800
- find a peaceful way to settle the dispute
settle
ˈset(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you settle somewhere, you start to
live there permanently
Verb
- he settled in Birmingham after the war
- they settled just north of London
- between 1826 and 1852, many Europeans settled in the country
- those pioneers who settled in the American West
- Noun: settler
- European settlers arrived, starting around 1845
settle for
ˈset(ə)l fɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you settle for something, you
accept it, even though it is not as
good as you wanted it to be
Phrasal verb
- eventually/finally settle for something
- he eventually settled for a job as a security guard
- they owe you the full value of the car, so don’t settle for less
shape
ʃeɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
your shape is how fit and healthy you
are
Noun uncount
- be out of shape
- be in (good) shape
- get (back) in shape
- he’s got really out of shape since he stopped going to the gym (become unfit)
- I wanted to get back in shape (become fitter)
- an exercise machine to help you keep in shape
- he’s in much better shape now
- it’s not far to walk, but it depends what sort of shape you’re in
share
ʃeə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
the shares in a company are the parts
into which its ownership is divided
and which can be bought and sold. The
share price is the price you have to
pay to buy a share
Noun
- buy/sell shares
- now is not a good time to buy shares in the company
- she decided to sell her shares to pay off her debts
- the company’s share price crashed
- the share price has gone down to just 32p
- share prices have bounced back after the recession
- Noun: shareholder
- shareholders objected to the chairman’s pay rise
- the takeover can go ahead only with shareholder approval
- the annual shareholders meeting
sheer
ʃɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
you use sheer to emphasise the great
size, weight, or quantity of
something
Adjective
- sheer complexity/scale/size/volume/number
- I was overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the problem
- the sheer volume of information available has grown enormously
- the sheer quantity of floodwater was horrifying
- the sheer number of visitors is posing a threat to the area
shift
ʃɪft
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
a shift is a change in the way
something happens or is done, or a
change in the way people think about
something
Noun
- a shift in something
- a shift from something to something
- a policy shift
- a fundamental/major/significant shift
- a shift from oil to natural gas
- a remarkable shift in public opinion
- the report represented a major shift in focus
- Verb: shift
- shift someone’s attention/attitude
- the need to shift attitudes about global warming
shoot up
ˈʃuːt ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if prices shoot up, they increase
very quickly and by a large amount. If
the rate or level of something shoots
up, it increases greatly and quickly.
A more formal word is soar
Phrasal verb
- plane fares really shoot up at Easter
- interest rates have shot up in recent months
- inflation shot up to 6% last year
- his blood pressure shot up dangerously
- applications to study here have shot up since the new faculty opened
shortage
ˈʃɔː(r)tɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
if there is a shortage of something,
there is not enough of it
Noun
- a shortage of something
- there are a lot of water shortages
- a desperate shortage of medical supplies
- a serious shortage of teachers
- the drought led to a shortage of food
- many companies are facing severe staff shortages
- Adjective: short
- be short of something
- I’m a bit short of cash at the moment. Can you lend me £10?
- if you’re short of carrots, just use potato
shower
ˈʃaʊə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if someone is showered with
something, other people throw it over
them. You can also say that you shower
someone with gifts if you give them a
lot of gifts, or shower them with
praise if lots of people say positive
things about them
Verb
- the couple are showered with confetti
- they showered her with presents
- viewers showered praise on the film
sibling
ˈsɪblɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
someone’s sibling is their brother or
sister
Noun
- sibling rivalry
- with her siblings, she put on puppet shows
- sibling rivalry is a normal part of growing up
- he had two elder siblings, Scott and Connie
- his five siblings left the area for better opportunities
side
saɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
a particular side of a situation is a
particular aspect of it that is being
described
Noun
- the funny/bright side of something/someone
- a positive/negative side
- a gentle/nasty side
- there’s a dark side to his personality (he is unhappy or does bad things sometimes)
- always look on the bright side of life (be positive and think about good things)
- on the plus side, we’ll have a whole weekend together
- the negative side to life in the country is the slow Internet connection
- after a few drinks he shows his nasty side
signposting
ˈsaɪnˌpəʊst
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
a signpost is a sign by the road
which shows you the direction to
somewhere. Signposting is the use of
signposts or other signs to help
people know which way they should go,
for example on the roads or in a large
public building
Noun uncount
- he criticised the lack of signposting at the junction
- provision of clear signposting is essential
- follow the signposting to the car park
- signposting to the ferry in Dieppe leaves something to be desired (the signposting is not very good)
- Noun: signpost
- a signpost pointing to the city centre
- look out for the signpost at the bottom of the hill
- we went six miles without seeing a single signpost
site
saɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
a site is a place where something is
or where something happens
Noun
- a building site
- a burial site
- it’s on the site of a much older church
- a building site (where building work is going on)
- an ancient burial site
- a landfill site (for burying rubbish in the ground)
- the most visited archaeological site in Mexico
- the power station occupies a 24 hectare site
- Verb: site
- their cities were typically sited near rivers
- the three main passenger terminal buildings are sited next to each other
skid
skɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you skid while you are driving,
your vehicle slides uncontrollably,
for example because you have tried to
stop too quickly when it is icy or
muddy
Verb
- I was afraid we’d skid on the ice
- the police car skidded to a stop
- the jeep skidded and slammed into the truck
- if you feel the car skidding, lift your foor off the accelerator
- Noun: skid
- if you go into a skid, stop braking
- she learned how to handle a skid
skip
skɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
if you skip something that you
regularly do or have, you do not do it
or have it on one occasion
Verb
- I try never to skip lunch
- she skipped the last lesson of the day to go to the concert
- she made up an excuse to skip gym that evening (to not go to the gym)
skull
skʌl
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your skull is the bone that makes up
your head and that contains your
brain
Noun
- a fractured skull
- a human/animal skull
- a strong blow to the skull can cause brain damage
- close to death with a fractured skull
- archaeologists unearthed the fossilised skull of a human child, at least 1,500 years old
- these dinosaurs had very bony skulls
slap
slæp
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you slap someone, you hit them
with your open hand
Verb
- slap someone in/across the face
- slap someone on the head/bottom/cheek
- a teacher who used to slap me on the back of my head
- slapping children in the face like that is unacceptable
- if you weren’t so far away I’d slap you across the face
- he slapped me on the back (hit me in a friendly way on the back)
- Noun: slap
- a hard/sharp slap
- a slap on the hand/wrist/cheek
- give someone a slap
- I fully expected a slap on my cheek
- she gave me a slap and told me to behave
- be quiet or you’ll get a slap in the mouth
slave
sleɪv
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you slave or slave away, you work
very hard for a long time
Verb
- slave away at something
- slave over something
- I’ve been slaving away at my desk
- slaving over a hot cooker
- slaving away at a report
- after slaving over the novel for 10 years, he finally gave up
slice
slaɪs
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
to slice something means to cut it
into thin pieces using a knife or
something else that is sharp
Verb
- Van Gogh sliced his ear off
- slice the courgettes thinly
- he sliced his hand open by accident
- Noun: slice
- Adjective: sliced
- a slice of cheese
- a few thin slices of tomato
- a loaf of sliced bread
small print
ˈsmɔːl prɪnt
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
in a contract or other legal
document, the small print is all the
complicated detail that people don’t
like reading, but which often has
surprising conditions
Noun singular
- read the small print
- be in the small print
- if you don’t read the small print, you might get a nasty shock later
- the penalty for late delivery was buried in the small print
- It's the added extras hidden in the small print that often make hiring a car more expensive than it first appears
- what you see listed on the site is what you get, nothing hidden in the small print
smash
smæʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
if something smashes, it breaks into
a lot of very small pieces
Verb
- I knocked over a cup and it smashed on the floor
- the bottle smashed
- I’m sorry, I’ve accidentally smashed a glass
- they threatened to smash his windows
smoothly
ˈsmuːðli
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if something happens smoothly,
everything works well and successfully
and there are no problems
Adverb
- go/run smoothly
- all the arrangements went very smoothly
- the sessions were well planned and went smoothly
- the process did not always run smoothly
- the problem was quickly and smoothly dealt with
- Adjective: smooth
- she made a smooth transition from school to university
- he stayed on for a month to ensure a smooth handover to the new chairman
smuggling
ˈsmʌɡ(ə)lɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
smuggling is the activity of taking
things into or out of a country
secretly because it is against the law
or against rules
Noun uncount
- he was found guilty of drug smuggling
- cigarette smuggling is on the increase
- organised smuggling gangs
- their primary objective was to prevent smuggling
- Verb: smuggle
- Noun: smuggler
- gangs that smuggle illegal immigrants into the country
- it’s quite easy to smuggle guns across the border
- drug smugglers risk the death sentence
- these paths were used by smugglers 300 years ago
snatch
snætʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
to snatch something means to steal it
from someone by using force to take it
away from them
Verb
- I had my bag snatched in the street
- someone snatched my purse
- she snatched the letter out of my hand before I could open it
- the youth snatched her phone outside the station
sneak
sniːk
Upper Intermediate
pp92-93
if you sneak somewhere, you go there
quietly and secretly, hoping that no
one will see you
Verb
- sneak in/out/away/off
- I got bored and decided to sneak out
- we sneaked in through the back door
- let’s sneak round the back
- we sneaked off home before the last lesson
sneeze
sniːz
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you sneeze, you suddenly force a
lot of air out your nose or mouth
without being able to prevent it, for
example when you have a cold
Verb
- he was coughing and sneezing all night
- she sneezed twice as the cold air blew in through the open door
- the pepper spilled and made me sneeze
- Noun: sneeze
- each sneeze can blast more than one million bugs into the air
- she reached for a handkerchief as she felt another sneeze coming on
so-called
ˈsəʊ kɔːld
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
you use so-called to refer to people
or things when you think that a
description of them is wrong. So if
you refer to someone as a so-called
expert, you mean that you think they
are not an expert at all
Adjective
- even prizes judged by so-called experts were clearly random
- our so-called civilised society
- he denied committing so-called crimes against the state
- Chile's so-called economic miracle
soak
səʊk
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if you soak something, you put it
into water or another liquid and leave
it there for a time, often as part of
food preparation
Verb
- soak something in something
- soak in something
- soak the chickpeas overnight
- leave them to soak for a few hours
- soak them in cold water for two hours
- I could spend hours soaking in the bath
- I got absolutely soaked (very wet from the rain)
- in another pot, soak the salted fish
- Noun: soak
- they cook very quickly after a soak overnight
- I spent an hour having a soak in the bath
soaked
səʊkt
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you get soaked, you become
extremely wet
Adjective
- soaked through
- soaked to the skin
- I got absolutely soaked on the way
- after an hour in the rain I was soaked through
- within seconds they were both soaked to the skin
- Verb: soak
- Adverb: soaking
- Noun: soaking
- soaking wet
- the rain soaked everyone to the skin
- my shirt was soaking wet
- I forgot my umbrella and got a soaking
soaked
səʊkt
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
if you get soaked, you become
extremely wet
Adjective
- soaked through
- soaked to the skin
- the whole place was flooded and we got absolutely soaked
- after an hour in the rain I was soaked through
- within seconds they were both soaked to the skin
- Verb: soak
- Adverb: soaking
- Noun: soaking
- soaking wet
- the rain soaked everyone to the skin
- my shirt was soaking wet
- I forgot my umbrella and got a soaking
soar
sɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if prices soar, they increase very
quickly and by a large amount. If the
rate or level of something soars, it
increases greatly and quickly. A less
formal expression is shoot up
Verb
- property prices in London have soared
- prices are soaring in the area
- unemployment has soared to 15%
- profits have soared dramatically
- inflation looks set to soar in the coming months
- Adjective: soaring
- soaring levels of student debt
- the need to control soaring inflation
- soaring gold prices nearly caused another financial crisis
soft
sɒft
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
you can say that someone is soft if
they are not strict enough and if they
allow things to happen that they do
not want
Adjective
- be soft on someone/something
- the government is soft on drugs
- he’s too soft with his kids
- community service is seen as a soft option (prison would be a better punishment)
soil
sɔɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
soil is the earth in which plants
grow
Noun
- fertilisers that will improve the soil
- a good fertile soil
- struggling to grow crops in poor soils
- a sandy soil
- a clay soil
- well drained soil is also essential for these plants
- these soil samples were analysed
solidly
ˈsɒlɪdli
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you work solidly throughout a
period of time, you work constantly
and without stoppping
Adverb
- work solidly
- rain solidly
- I worked solidly all afternoon
- it’s been raining solidly since yesterday morning
- Adjective: solid
- two/three/four etc solid hours/days/weeks
- we spent three solid weeks painting the house
sort
sɔː(r)t
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
to sort things means to look through
them and arrange them in smaller
groups according to size, type
etc
Verb
- he sorted the junk into piles
- sort your kitchen waste into food, glass and plastic
- thousands of carefully sorted postcards
- the information can be retrieved and sorted very easily
- he began to sort and arrange his papers
sound
saʊnd
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
to sound an instrument means to make
it produce its usual noise
Verb
- drivers are constantly sounding their horns in the street
- he sounded his trumpet to announce the president’s arrival
- the referee sounded his whistle for the start of the match
spark
spɑː(r)k
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
to spark something violent or extreme
means to cause it
Verb
- the speech sparked a heated debate
- what sparked this explosion of anger?
- the announcement has sparked widespread demonstrations
- the incident sparked controversy across the country
sparkle
ˈspɑː(r)k(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
something that sparkles gives off
flashes of bright light
Verb
- the golden walls were sparkling in the sunlight
- the rings on her fingers sparkled
- you should have seen his eyes sparkle when we told him
- the diamonds and precious stones sparkled and gleamed
- Noun: sparkle
- he saw the sparkle of her eyes
- wipe with a damp cloth to give your windows a sparkle
spectacular
spekˈtækjʊlə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if something is spectacular, it is
extremely impressive to look at or
watch
Adjective
- absolutely/truly spectacular
- spectacular scenery
- a spectacular view
- a spectacular show
- a spectacular firework display
- the dancing was absolutely spectacular
- a spectacular view of the mountains / the scenery is absolutely spectacular
- Adverb: spectacularly
- Salisbury is the most spectacularly beautiful cathedral in Britain
- the theatre is spectacularly decorated
speculate
ˈspekjʊleɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to speculate means to suggest or
guess that something might be true
although you do not have evidence to
prove it
Verb
- speculate that
- speculate about something
- researchers speculate that climate change may have been responsible
- we don’t know for sure, but it’s fun to speculate
- you should check your facts before speculating wildly
- it’s useless to speculate about the origin of language
- Noun: speculation
- Adjective: speculative
- this is pure speculation and not fact
- this is not idle speculation (there is some truth in this)
- the prime minister dismissed speculation about an early election
- this event prompted media speculation that he was going to resign
- at present these suggestions remain purely speculative
- the entire article is simply speculative opinion
speechless
ˈspiːtʃləs
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if you are speechless, you are so
surprised by something that you find
it difficult to say anything
Adjective
- be speechless with anger/rage
- when I found out, I was speechless
- he was speechless with rage and bright red in the face
- Jenny collapsed into the chair, speechless with exhaustion
spin
spɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if someone or something spins around,
they move round and round in circles,
usually quickly
Verb
- all that spinning around has made me dizzy
- the helicopter blades started to spin round
- the car spun round twice before crashing into the tree
- my head was spinning (I couldn’t think clearly)
spine
spaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
your spine is the row of bones that
goes down your back from your neck and
that helps you stay upright
Noun
- an exercise that is good for the spine without putting unnecessary strain on the rest of the body
- curvature of the spine (a medical condition in which someone’s spine is not straight but curves slightly)
- the body's main nerves branch out from either side of the spine
- Adjective: spinal
- spinal injuries
- the spinal cord (the nerve that runs up the middle of the spine and which carries messages to the brain)
- your spinal column (your spine)
- she had to undergo spinal surgery
spirit
ˈspɪrɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
the spirit of an action or statement
is the way it is meant to be
understood
Noun
- complaints are made in the spirit of improving a service
- the display was put on in the spirit of fun
- this is certainly against the spirit of the law (even if it is legal, it is not what the law intended to allow)
spiritual
ˈspɪrɪtʃuəl
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
spiritual means relating to your
feelings and beliefs and not to your
body or to material things
Adjective
- it was a deeply spiritual experience
- a truly spiritual journey of discovery
- the moral and spiritual growth of young people
- Adverb: spiritually
- an account of his spiritually rich but socially deprived childhood
- a spiritually reviving walk through fields and woods
sponsor
ˈspɒnsə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
if you sponsor someone or something,
you provide money for a particular
event or activity. People often
sponsor friends who are raising money
for charity. People also sponsor
children or families in poor areas,
for example by providing money for
schoolbooks or medicines. Companies
often sponsor big public events,
usually in exchange for being allowed
to advertise at the event
Verb
- we’re sponsoring a family in Namibia
- will you sponsor me? I’m going to swim 5 miles for Cancer Research
- Disney eventually sponsored three research field trips
- Samsung has sponsored the team since 2000
- many years ago, the cricket World Cup was sponsored by a tobacco company
- Noun: sponsor
- Noun: sponsorship
- some sponsors are large national and multinational companies
- original corporate sponsors included two local banks
- BP is providing £1m of sponsorship
- commercial sponsorship of women's football is growing
- corporate sponsorship is a popular marketing tool
sponsorship
ˈspɒnsə(r)ʃɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
sponsorship is money provided for a
particular event or activity, usually
by a company in exchange for being
allowed to advertise at the
event
Noun uncount
- a sponsorship deal
- corporate/commercial sponsorship
- BP is providing £1m of sponsorship
- commercial sponsorship of women's football is growing
- companies enter into sponsorship agreements for many reasons
- corporate sponsorship is a popular marketing tool
- they were unable to attract major sponsorship
- the company has sponsorship deals with two separate cricket clubs
- Noun: sponsor
- Verb: sponsor
- Disney eventually sponsored three research field trips
- Samsung has sponsored the team since 2000
- some sponsors are large national and multinational companies
- original corporate sponsors included two local banks
spot
spɒt
Upper Intermediate
pp100-101
a spot is a particular place where
someone or something is, or where
something happens
Noun
- a beauty spot
- a tourist spot
- we chose a nice spot for the picnic
- this is a good spot to catch fish
- we visited all the popular tourist spots
- a beauty spot (a place which is very attractive, usually in the country)
- we parked in a shady spot under a tree
spot
spɒt
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
a spot is a small lump or mark on
someone’s skin, especially on their
face
Noun
- I came out in spots (I suddenly had a lot of spots)
- use this cream next time you get spots
- she had a spot where the wasp had stung her
- his face was a mass of wrinkles and spots
sprain
spreɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you sprain your knee, ankle, wrist
etc., you hurt it and damage it by
twisting it suddenly
Verb
- he fell out of a tree and sprained his neck
- I sprained my knee
- I think I’ve sprained my ankle
- no one was hurt except the driver, who sprained his wrist
- Noun: sprain
- Adjective: sprained
- this was a severe sprain and needed months of therapy
- you haven’t broken it – it’s only a sprain
- she had a sprained wrist
- he suffered a sprained left shoulder
spread
spred
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if something spreads, it gradually
begins to cover a wider area
Verb
- spread through an area
- spread to somewhere
- spread slowly
- spread rapidly
- unfortunately, the cancer continued to spread
- the fire spread rapidly through the farm buildings
- the violence spread to neighbouring villages
- Noun: spread
- closing the border won’t stop the spread of the disease
- the spread of communism that followed the Second World War
sprinkle
ˈsprɪŋk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
to sprinkle something means to shake
a small amount of it over something
else
Verb
- sprinkle something with something
- sprinkle something over something
- crush the almonds and sprinkle over the cake
- sprinkle the cake with sugar
- drain thoroughly and sprinkle lightly with salt
- serve the pears warm, sprinkled with a chocolate topping
- Noun: sprinkling
- Noun: sprinkle
- add the milk and a sprinkling of salt
- a sprinkling of chopped parsley
- now add a sprinkle of grated cheese
squeeze
skwiːz
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if you squeeze something, you press
it very firmly
Verb
- squeeze something out of something
- 0
- Noun: squeeze
- I gave her hand a squeeze
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- we all got in, but it was a bit of a squeeze (there wasn’t much room)
stab
stæb
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
to stab someone means to attack and
hurt them by pushing a knife into
them
Verb
- he was stabbed outside the nightclub
- he was stabbed to death
- she stabbed him twice and ran downstairs
- Noun: stab
- Noun: stabbing
- in one incident a man suffered stab wounds
- the stab was too low to reach his heart
- there have been three stabbings so far this month
- he was arrested five hours after the stabbing
stable
ˈsteɪb(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp126-127
a stable is a building where horses
are kept
Noun
- an ambitious horse will never return to its old stable
- leave the horses in the stable
- the stables were converted into a house
- Verb: stable
- her pony’s stabled (kept in a stable) at a nearby farm
- we decided to stable the horses here rather than send them away
stack
stæk
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a stack of things is a large pile of
them
Noun
- surrounded by stacks of old newspapers
- each player has a stack of coloured counters
- Emma was counting a neat stack of folded handkerchiefs
- my clothes were all folded up in stacks
- Verb: stack
- five large cardboard boxes were neatly stacked by the front door
- lift them very carefully and stack them ready to use again
stage
steɪdʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to stage a play or other performance
means to organise it and present it in
front of an audience
Verb
- the group stage all their plays in prisons
- James was busy writing and staging successful musicals
- a large main hall which stages concerts and community events
- the opera was never staged in Vienna in his lifetime
- Noun: stage
- Noun: staging
- I don’t go on stage until the final act
- he returned to the stage after five years working in Hollywood (he started acting in the theatre again)
- another staging of Hamlet will take place next Tuesday
stain
steɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp26-27
a stain is an unwanted mark on
something that is very difficult to
remove
Verb
- do you know how to get rid of these stains?
- there was a coffee stain on his shirt
- blood stains
- grass stains
- some stains are difficult to remove
- don’t rub it; you’ll just spread the stain
- Verb: stain
- Adjective: stained
- blood from the accident stained the floor
- it might stain your clothes, so handle it carefully
- wash that out quickly or it will stain
- his clothes were stained with blood
- he wore dirty jeans and a stained T-shirt
stake
steɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
when you make a bet, your stake is
the amount of money that you risk. The
stakes are things you risk losing if
something fails. You can say that
something is at stake if you risk
losing it
Noun
- we play for very small stakes
- a £10 stake
- the company is taking a risk, and the stakes are high (they risk losing a lot)
- the chairman has raised the stakes by threatening to resign
- there’s a lot at stake in this election
stamina
ˈstæmɪnə
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
stamina is strength that allows you
to continue doing hard exercise for a
long time
Noun uncount
- you need a lot of stamina to do marathon running
- I haven’t got the stamina to walk that far
- help to build up your stamina
- he’s got a lot of mental stamina
- you can increase your stamina with some simple exercises
stand to
ˈstænd
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
if you stand to get something or
stand to lose something, it’s likely
that you will get it or lose it
Verb
- stand to gain/win/benefit something
- stand to lose something
- a lot of countries stand to benefit from the trade agreement
- he stands to lose a lot of money
- we stand to gain a lot from the merger
- I stand to win £10,000
stand up for
ˈstænd ˌʌp fɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you stand up for yourself, you
defend yourself and insist on having
or keeping what you are entitled to
and do not let other people do things
that will cause you problems
Phrasal verb
- standing up for yourself is sometimes necessary
- I can assure you she's more than capable of standing up for herself
- well I hope he can stand up for himself
- I'm not a child. I can stand up for myself
standpoint
ˈstæn(d)ˌpɔɪnt
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
your standpoint is the particular way
you have of thinking about a
particular idea, event, or
situation
Noun
- from that standpoint it's a good investment
- from a design standpoint, this product is a disaster
- before answering, consider the situation from a customer standpoint
- recently, this standpoint has been questioned
star
stɑː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
stars are large objects out in space
like our sun. We can see them because
they burn very fiercely and give out a
lot of light. Some people believe that
the way stars move in the sky and
their position at certain times has an
influence on what happens to people on
earth
Noun
- it’s written in the stars that you will become famous
- it was in the stars that she would marry a prince
state
steɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
the state of something is the
condition that it is in
Noun
- look at the state of the place. It’s filthy!
- the kitchen was in a terrible state
- the car was in a bad state of repair (it didn’t work properly)
- he’s in no fit state to go to work (he’s too ill)
steer
stɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
to steer a vehicle or boat means to
control it and choose the direction it
goes in all the time. To steer a
course or path through a situation
means to do what is necessary to deal
with the situation successfully and
achieve a good result
Verb
- steer a course/path (through something)
- try to steer through these confrontations
- you don’t need to steer clear of them altogether (avoid them)
- try to steer children towards making the right choices
- I tried to steer the conversation away from the trip
- he tried to steer the party in the right direction
steer clear
stɪə(r) ˈklɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
if you steer clear of something, you
deliberately do not go there or have
anything to do with it
Phrase
- it’s a rough part of town – I’d steer clear of it if I were you
- he tried to steer clear of the reporters
- I try to steer clear of processed food (not eat it)
stem
stem
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
a stem is the long thin part of a
plant that a flower grows on. If
something stems from something else,
it has that other thing as its
origin
Noun
- cut the stems before you put the flowers in the vase
- the stems can grow up to 60 cm
- it has tough, woody stems
- roses with long stems
- Verb: stem
- stem from something
- the economic crisis stemmed from mistakes made by the banks
- weight problems often stem from a poor diet
- the show's popularity stems largely from its mix of education and humour
step
step
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
a step is one part of a process that
will need several things to happen,
one after the other
Noun
- step by step
- a first step
- a major step
- take (a) step(s)
- providing every child with an anti-mosquito bed net would be a major first step
- seven steps towards improving morale in the workplace
- a major step forward is within sight
- his next step was to hire an office manager
- here are the basic steps needed to create your own development plan
- he took steps to improve the department's finances
- the plan must be carried out step by step (in the right order, and not trying to do everything at once)
step back
ˈstep ˌbæk
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you step back from a situation,
you stop being involved in it so that
you can think about it carefully and
decide what you need to do
Phrasal verb
- the government should step back for a while until the situation is clearer
- let’s step back for a moment before we get further involved
- it’s difficult to step back when you see your kids making the same mistakes you made 20 years ago
- he stepped back before he could say anything he’d regret
stick to
ˈstɪk tʊ
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if you stick to something, you
continue to do it or use it rather
than changing to something
different
Phrasal verb
- the locals stick to wearing traditional costumes
- let’s stick to the original plan
- I always find it hard to stick to a diet
- he stuck to his principles
- she stuck to her word (she did what she had promised to do)
stiff
stɪf
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you feel stiff, your muscles and
joints move only with difficulty
because you are ill, or because you
have been very active, or because you
have been in the same position for a
long time
Adjective
- my knee is quite stiff this morning
- I woke up with a stiff neck
- take a hot shower after exercise so that you don’t get stiff
- my legs were stiff after sitting in the plane for five hours
- people who suffer from backache and stiff joints
- I woke up the next morning stiff as a board (very stiff indeed)
- Noun: stiffness
- Adjective: stiffly
- sprains, bruises and muscular stiffness
- I could run thirty miles with little stiffness afterwards
- the hot bath did not prevent a certain stiffness of limbs
- Norden stood up stiffly
- she climbed stiffly out of the car
stiff
stɪf
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
something that is stiff doesn’t move
as easily as it ought to
Adjective
- you have to push quite hard – the handle’s very stiff
- the lock on the back door is stiff
- my knee is quite stiff this morning
- Adverb: stiffly
- Noun: stiffness
- I lifted the latch and the door opened stiffly
- if you oil the gears you might reduce the stiffness
stimulating
ˈstɪmjʊˌleɪtɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
an activity that is stimulating makes
you think a lot in an enjoyable or
useful way
Adjective
- a stimulating environment/experience/activity
- Noun: stimulation
- get stimulation from something
- mental stimulation
- intellectual stimulation
stir
stɜː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp134-135
if you stir food while it is cooking,
you use a spoon or other tool to move
it around in its cooking container so
that it all mixes together and so that
it does not burn or stick
Verb
- stir something with something
- stir something into something
- you have to keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn
- stir constantly with a wooden spoon
- stir the oats into the warm milk
- slowly add water while stirring to avoid lumps
- stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved
- Noun: stir
- give the soup a stir
stitch
stɪtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you have stitches, a doctor uses a
strong thread to close up your skin
where you have had a deep cut
Noun
- have stitches
- have stitches out
- she had to have four stitches in her knee
- come back in a week and I’ll take the stitches out (remove them)
- who put the stitches in?
- dissolvable stitches (stitches that will disappear naturally and won’t need to be removed)
stock
stɒk
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
the stock of a shop or company is the
amount of goods it has that are
available and ready to be sold or sent
out to customers
Noun
- in stock
- out of stock
- stock levels
- I’m phoning to check stock levels in the warehouse
- everything in the catalogue is in stock and is immediately available
- several of the books I wanted were out of stock (not available)
- this offer is only open while stocks last (until everything has been sold)
- Verb: stock
- Noun: stockist
- the shop was poorly stocked (did not have many goods)
- we stock more than forty different kinds of cheese
- check our website for details of your nearest stockist (shop that sells a particular item)
stock
stɒk
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
to stock a place means to fill it
with things. To re-stock a place means
to fill it with things again after it
has been emptied
Verb
- stock the shelves/cupboard/fridge
- stock a bar
- stock something with something
- we stocked the fridge for Christmas.
- you need to re-stock your wardrobe for winter
- stock the lake with salmon
- the garden was well stocked with plants
stock exchange
ˈstɒk ɪksˌtʃeɪndʒ
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
a stock exchange is a place where
shares in companies are bought and
sold. If a company is floated on the
stock exchange, shares in that company
become available for the first
time
Noun
- we floated the company on the stock exchange
- they lost a lot of money on the stock exchange
- the New York stock exchange
- the London stock exchange closed 15 points lower (the value of all the shares was slightly lower at the end of the day)
- the stock exchange fell by 15%
- the stock exchange rose slightly
store
stɔː(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp142-143
a store is a shop, especially a large
shop
Noun
- we’re opening a new flagship store in Tokyo
- a department store (a large shop which sells a wide range of goods in different departments)
- Tesco reduced the number of new stores they opened last year
- the streets are dominated by chain stores (businesses which have similar shops in lots of different towns and cities)
- prices vary between rival stores
stormy
ˈstɔː(r)mi
Upper Intermediate
pp66-67
stormy weather is when there is a lot
of heavy rain and wind. If people’s
relationships are stormy, there is a
lot arguing and disagreement
Adjective
- stormy weather
- a stormy relationship
- we’ve had a lot of stormy weather recently
- the night was stormy and very cold
- their relationship was stormy from the day they married
- after several stormy meetings he decided to resign
- following a stormy debate, parliament voted against the proposal
- Noun: storm
- the storm raged all night
- the airport was closed because of the approaching storm
straight
streɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
a straight answer is a clear and
honest reply to a serious
question
Adjective
- I couldn’t get a straight answer out of anyone
- what we need from our politicians is some straight answers
- Tommy gave straight answers and expected them in return
- Adverb: straight
- I’ll tell you straight: I don’t want to work for you
straightforward
ˌstreɪtˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
if something is straightforward, it
is very simple, and there are no
problems or difficulties
involved
Adjective
- relatively/fairly straightforward
- perfectly straightforward
- a straightforward matter/case
- these problems can be overcome in relatively straightforward ways
- a fairly straightforward decorating job
- it should be relatively straightforward to set everything up
straightforward
ˌstreɪtˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if something is straightforward, it
is very simple, and there are no
problems or difficulties
involved
Adjective
- relatively/fairly straightforward
- perfectly straightforward
- a straightforward matter/case
- it was a straightforward birth
- a fairly straightforward decorating job
- it should be relatively straightforward to set everything up
strain
streɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp38-39
if there is a strain on something,
there is a problem because there is
too much demand for it. If there is a
strain on a relationship, problems and
disagreements mean that two people or
groups have trouble living or working
together
Noun
- be under strain
- put a strain on something
- this puts a great strain on scarce resources
- the holiday put a real strain on our finances
- a flu epidemic would place a considerable strain on the health service
- her marriage was under considerable strain
- the drop in business relieved some strain on the transport network
- Verb: strain
- Adjective: strained
- the extra costs are likely to strain our finances
- the incident has strained relations between the two countries
- the friendship between the two leaders became strained
- relations between the central and regional authorities were strained
strap
stræp
Upper Intermediate
pp30-31
a strap is a length of material such
as cloth or leather that is used to
hold something in place
Noun
- the strap has come off my watch
- it was an expensive leather strap
- a dress with very wide shoulder straps
- the drummers used white straps to support their drums
- Verb: strap
- their weapons were strapped to their belts
- the pilot wouldn’t start the plane until everyone had strapped themselves in
strength
streŋθ
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
strength is the physical power that
makes someone strong and able to do
things like lift heavy objects
Noun
- physical strength
- brute strength
- gain/regain your strength
- she possessed great physical strength and courage
- this needed skill rather than brute strength (the use of force rather than thought)
- he was not eating enough to regain his strength
- he has both strength and mental toughness
- Verb: strengthen
- Adjective: strong
- these exercises help strengthen your neck muscles
- she needs to do something that will stretch and strengthen her tired muscles
- he was the strongest boy in the class
- I wasn’t strong enough to lift the box
stretch
strɛtʃ
Upper Intermediate
pp80-81
if you stretch yourself, or if
something stretches you, you have to
do things that are too difficult for
you, but which help you improve your
skills or knowledge so that they are
no longer too difficult
Verb
- I feel I’m really stretching myself
- a school which really stretches the students
- the work doesn’t stretch me enough
strike
straɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if something strikes you in a
particular way, it makes you think
about it in that way and influences
the opinion that you form
Verb
- strike someone as something
- be struck by how something happens
- this may strike you as a conventional painting
- doesn’t his behaviour strike you as odd?
- the first thing that struck me was how few people were there
- I was struck by how cheerful she seemed (I noticed it)
- Adjective: striking
- Adverb: strikingly
- the two books have striking similarities
- the second example was even more striking
- her own conclusions were strikingly different
stubborn
ˈstʌbə(r)n
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
someone who is stubborn does not like
to change their mind about something
and does not listen to people who try
to persuade them to change
Adjective
- a stubborn streak
- stubborn refusal/resistance
- I've had to be stubborn, single-minded and selfish in my pursuit of a movie career
- Charles's stubborn attitude has only made matters worse
- he said I was being very stubborn and that I should just give up the idea
- there is a stubborn streak which runs through everyone in my family
- after a week of stubborn resistance, he finally gave in
- Adverb: stubbornly
- Noun: stubbornnes
- for all his stubbornness, he is in fact hinting that he is ready to do a deal
- a character of immense stubbornness
- my father used to get so angry at her stubbornness
- it was only her own stubbornness that was keeping her away from the party
- Patrick shook his head stubbornly
- she fought stubbornly to have her daughter returned to her
stuck
stʌk
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
if you are stuck somewhere, you
cannot get away even though you want
to
Adjective
- people got stuck in their cars overnight
- we were stuck inside thanks to the rain
- I’m going to be stuck in London all summer
- the van got stuck in the mud (was unable to move)
- several vehicles became stuck in the snow
stuff
stʌf
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
you can use stuff to refer to things
such as a substance, a collection of
things, events, ideas, or the contents
of something in a general way without
mentioning the thing itself by
name
Noun uncount
- the Beatles? That’s the kind of stuff my dad listens to
- we played games like Monopoly and stuff like that
- I hate opera and that kind of stuff
- we need to buy some stuff for the house
- just dump your stuff in the corner, we’ll show you your room later
stunning
ˈstʌnɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
something that is stunning is very
beautiful. You can also describe a
very attractive person as
stunning
Adjective
- absolutely stunning
- stunning scenery
- a stunning view
- a stunning building
- the room looked stunning and was arranged beautifully
- she’s absolutely stunning
- a stunning view from the hotel window
- the cottage is set in stunning scenery
- the stunning countryside of Wensleydale
- Adverb: stunningly
- a stunningly beautiful woman
subject
səbˈdʒekt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
if you subject someone to something,
usually something difficult or
unpleasant, you make them do it or
experience it
Verb
- subject someone to something
- they are then subjected to questioning from the panel
- he claimed they had subjected him to torture
- his cousin was subjected to repeated beatings
- my family was subjected to death threats
- her husband subjected her to years of abuse
subsidise
ˈsʌbsɪdaɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp128-129
if a government subsidises activities
or businesses, it provides them with
extra money that they need to survive
but which they cannot get from their
own earnings. Sometimes this is to
enable manufacturers to sell goods at
lower prices
Verb
- heavily subsidise something
- the industry is still heavily subsidised
- Ontario has subsidised solar power energy
- the department subsidises higher education through student loan programmes
- much of this new construction was subsidised by public money
- Noun: subsidy
- Adjective: subsidised
- Noun: subsidisation
- an agricultural subsidy
- subsidies from the European Union
- small producers are given massive subsidies
- the government pays huge subsidies to farmers
- students here are given subsidised Internet access
- subsidised bus services
- they live in a subsidised flat
- he actively pursued government subsidisation
- calls to end the subsidisation of polluting industries
subsidy
ˈsʌbsədi
Upper Intermediate
pp64-65
a subsidy is an amount of money that
a government pays in order to help a
producer sell goods at a lower price
and still have a profit
Noun
- they survive thanks to subsidies of around €200 per bull
- an agricultural subsidy
- subsidies from the European Union
- small producers are given massive subsidies
- the government pays huge subsidies to farmers
- Verb: subsidise
- heavily subsidise something
- the industry is still heavily subsidised
- Ontario has subsidised solar power energy
substantially
səbˈstænʃ(ə)li
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
substantially means greatly or a
lot
Adverb
- substantially reduce/increase
- substantially more/less
- the flight has been substantially delayed (delayed for a long time)
- deliver substantially more profit
- the new model was not substantially different from the previous one
- a tax reduction which substantially reduced the costs of making the film
- Adjective: substantial
- a substantial increase/decrease
- a substantial difference
- a substantial improvement
- substantial growth/development
- a substantial rise in industrial profits
- a substantial increase in debt
- we expect substantial improvements in productivity
- the economy had three years of substantial growth
substitute
ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
a substitute is a player who does not
start a match but comes on later if
someone is injured or if the manager
wants to change the team
Noun
- a substitute for someone
- I came on as a substitute after a player got injured
- he was brought on as a substitute for Rooney
- Fletcher was an unused substitute in the final (he was ready to play but was not needed)
- he made an appearance as a second-half substitute
- Verb: substitute
- Noun: substitution
- Cole was substituted ten minutes before the end
- Soldado pulled a muscle and was substituted by Eriksen
- Aston Villa are going to make another substitution
substitute
ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
to substitute one thing for another
means to replace the first thing with
the second thing
Verb
- substitute something for something
- be substituted with something
- gangs were substituting the cheaper meat at one stage of the process
- you can substitute honey for sugar (use honey instead of sugar)
- the goalkeeper was substituted (replaced by another player)
- the cabbage leaves can be substituted with peppers
- Noun: substitute
- Noun: substitution
- Adjective: substitute
- oil that has been mixed with cheap substitutes
- you can use yogurt as a substitute for cream
- a sugar substitute
- vitamin supplements are no substitute for a healthy diet
- he was brought on at half time as a substitute (to replace another player)
- there is an urgent need for substitution of faulty products
- the need to place children in substitute families
subtle
ˈsʌt(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
subtle colours, tastes, smells etc.
are not very strong, but in a very
pleasant way
Adjective
- subtle colours are softer and more delicate
- the subtle flavour of green tea
- the walls were painted a subtle shade of blue
- Adverb: subtly
- a subtly flavoured dish of rice and peas
- subtly different colours blended to give a calming effect
subtle
ˈsʌt(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp136-137
something that is subtle is difficult
to see or notice unless you pay very
careful attention
Adjective
- a subtle difference
- a subtle change
- very/incredibly/extremely subtle
- a subtle hint of something
- there’s a subtle difference between the two pictures
- I didn't add enough pepper and the effect was too subtle
- if there really is a difference, it's incredibly subtle
- there was a subtle hint of lemon in the dish
- the change of colour scheme was too subtle to attract much notice
- Adverb: subtly
- Noun: subtlety
- British policy has already shifted subtly
- the two symbols are subtly different
- Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling
- the film lacks subtlety (it is too direct and obvious)
- she wrote exceptionally well, with great subtlety and depth
suffocate
ˈsʌfəkeɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp54-55
if someone suffocates, they die
because they are unable to
breathe
Verb
- you could’ve suffocated while you were sleeping
- he nearly suffocated
- he tried to suffocate his victims (kill them by stopping them breathing)
- Noun: suffocation
- she died from suffocation
- death was due to suffocation
suicide
ˈsuːɪsaɪd
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
suicide is the action of killing
yourself
Noun
- commit suicide
- the central character commits suicide
- he attempted suicide twice when he was in prison
- he died in what the police said was an apparent suicide
- the suicide rate increased by 15% (the number of people who commited suicide rose)
- Adjective: suicidal
- feeling suicidal is a very worrying state to be in
- he’d had suicidal thoughts before
sum up
sʌm ʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
to sum up means to say something that
is a summary of what you have just
been saying, especially at the end of
a speech or presentation
Phrasal verb
- sum up a talk/speech/lecture
- to sum up: if you want a great holiday, come to Cyprus
- the speaker summed up her talk with just two words: vote Democrat
- let me sum up by saying how much I’ve learned from talking to you all today
- use the last paragraph to sum up your argument
- Noun: summing-up
- the meeting ended with a summing-up by the chairman, and then a vote
- it was a complicated topic and his summing-up took nearly an hour
sunset
ˈsʌnˌset
Upper Intermediate
pp52-53
sunset is the time of day when the
sun goes out of sight and the sky
changes colour as it grows dark
Noun
- a spectacular/stunning/glorious sunset
- just look at that sunset!
- we went for a walk on the beach at sunset
- there was a spectacular sunset that evening
- we worked from sunrise to sunset
- I watched the sunset from a deck chair on the terrace
- it was one of those lovely autumn sunsets
sunshine
ˈsʌnˌʃaɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
sunshine is bright light and warmth
that comes from the sun when the
weather is fine and there no
clouds
Noun
- be in sunshine
- bright/glorious/brilliant sunshine
- warm sunshine
- one moment we were in sunshine, next minute it was pouring with rain
- the weather was wonderful with bright sunshine
- sunshine streamed in through the windows
- the garden looked lovely in the afternoon sunshine
- a dry day with spells of warm sunshine
supplement
ˈsʌplɪment
Upper Intermediate
pp82-83
if you supplement something you
already have, you add to it
Verb
- supplement income/earnings/salaries/pensions
- he took a night job to supplement his wages
- Adjective: supplementary
- supplementary material/information
- supplementary exercises on the DVD
- the range of supplementary materials is growing
surgery
ˈsɜː(r)dʒəri
Upper Intermediate
pp108-109
surgery is a medical treatment that
involves cutting into someone’s body
in order to repair or take out a part
that is diseased or damaged
Noun uncount
- undergo surgery
- major/minor surgery
- emergency surgery
- it happened while I was undergoing surgery
- you may need further surgery
- she had to have emergency surgery
- heart surgery
- brain surgery
- keyhole surgery (in which only a small opening is made through your skin)
- cosmetic surgery (to improve your appearance)
- spending six hours in the operating theatre having major surgery
- elective surgery (surgery that a patient chooses to have, although it is not essential)
- Adjective: surgical
- Adverb: surgically
- Noun: surgeon
- a surgical procedure/treatment/intervention
- a surgical procedure to remove the lump
- pioneering new surgical techniques
- surgical intervention would be too dangerous in this case
- the lump was surgically removed
- a newly-qualified surgeon
- surgeons worked through the night to treat victims of the plane crash
suspect
səˈspekt
Upper Intermediate
pp110-111
if you suspect something, you think
it is true although you do not have
any evidence or proof that it is
Verb
- strongly suspect
- be widely suspected
- art historians have long suspected the painting was by da Vinci
- I strongly suspect it will take longer than two weeks
- it is widely suspected that Williams was the other person involved in the fraud (suspected by a lot of people)
- Noun: suspicion
- a strong suspicion
- a sneaking suspicion
- my suspicion is that they will close down the whole department
- she had a strong suspicion that he would not return
- I have a sneaking suspicion that we won’t see him again (a suspicion that I don’t like but can’t forget)
suspicious
səˈspɪʃəs
Upper Intermediate
pp124-125
if you think something or someone is
suspicious, you do not trust them
because you think that there is
something wrong or dishonest about
them
Adjective
- suspicious behaviour
- suspicious activity
- deeply/highly suspicious
- they blocked my card because of suspicious activity
- if you see anything suspicious, call the police
- a suspicious-looking man
- he was behaving in a highly suspicious manner
- he urged everyone to report suspicious behaviour
- Adverb: suspiciously
- Noun: suspicion
- Verb: suspect
- act suspiciously
- suspect someone of something
- she saw a man acting suspiciously outside the shop
- I have the suspicion that he knows something
- our suspicions turned out to be unfounded (not true)
- the police suspect him of fraud
sustain
səˈsteɪn
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
to sustain something means to make
sure that conditions allow it to
continue
Verb
- sustain something indefinitely
- barely sustain something
- will Afghanistan ever be able to sustain itself?
- an economic system that cannot be sustained indefinitely
- present levels of funding barely sustain the organisation's activity
- the earth can easily sustain the current population of 7.1 billion
- this will not only sustain economic growth but also generate employment
- Adjective: sustained
- Adjective: sustainable
- Noun: sustainability
- Antonym – Adjective: unsustainable
- new investment is vital for sustained economic growth
- a sustained improvement in exports
- they promote sustainable farming in the region
- research into sustainable energy sources
- factors that influence the sustainability of worldwide food supplies
- an emphasis on environmental sustainability
- this is an unsustainable state of affairs
- that rate of investment proved unsustainable
sweat
swet
Upper Intermediate
pp44-45
sweat is water that comes out of your
body onto your skin when you are very
hot or ill or doing hard physical
exercise
Noun uncount
- work up a sweat
- come out in a sweat
- he works up a sweat just running for the bus
- sweat was pouring down his face
- he came out in a cold sweat (he felt slightly afraid)
- the bedclothes were soaked in sweat
- Alan wiped the sweat from his forehead
- Verb: sweat
- Adverb: sweaty
- he was sweating heavily in the heat
- I was shivering and sweating at the same time
- his hands were sweaty
- a pair of sweaty socks
sweep up
ˈswiːp ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp18-19
if you sweep up things that are on
the floor, you use a brush to bring
them together so that you can throw
them away when you are cleaning
somewhere and making it tidy
Phrasal verb
- we had to sweep up all the confetti afterwards
- he swept up the broken glass
- I had a job sweeping up hair at the barber’s shop
swell up
ˈswel ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if a part of your body swells up or
swells, it gets larger than usual
because you are ill or
uncomfortable
Phrasal verb
- her throat swelled up so much she needed an operation
- my feet always swell up on aeroplanes
- his lips started swelling up
- my ankle had swollen up
- Adjective: swollen
- Noun: swelling
- her face was a bit swollen
- a large swelling on his neck
swerve
swɜː(r)v
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
if you swerve, you change direction
very suddenly, usually in order to
avoid hitting or crashing into
something
Verb
- swerve violently/sharply
- swerve towards/around something
- everyone was swerving in and out of lanes
- I swerved to avoid a cat
- a lorry swerved across the road in front of me
- I swerved off the road
- she was hit by a bus which swerved into her path
swift
swɪft
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
something that is swift happens very
quickly and with no delay
Adjective
- swift medical treatment was provided
- the response was swift and effective
- he took a swift glance at the newspaper
- swift action is needed if we are to stay in business
- the robbery was well organised and swift
- Adverb: swiftly
- Noun: swiftness
- he looked swiftly around the room
- Tina ran out, swiftly followed by Peter
- the storm arrived with terrible swiftness
- the swiftness of his decline was unexpected
swing
swɪŋ
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if you or your opinions swing, you
change your ideas about something
Verb
- some people swing from one extreme to the other
- her mood could swing from joy to despair within a matter of minutes
- public opinion has swung to the left (become more left-wing)
- Noun: swing
- she suffers from mood swings
- a big swing in public opinion
swipe
swaɪp
Upper Intermediate
pp70-71
if you swipe a card, you pass it
through a device that reads
information from it and, for example,
opens a door for you or lets you pay
for something
Verb
- the machine grabbed all my details when I swiped my card through it
- swipe your card here to confirm the payment
- the magnetic strip was damaged and nothing happened when I swiped it
symbolic
sɪmˈbɒlɪk
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
a symbol is an object, picture, or
shape that is used to represent a
particular idea or feeling in art or
literature. If something is symbolic,
it uses pictures or shapes to
represent ideas or feelings
Adjective
- highly/heavily symbolic
- symbolic meaning/significance
- the picture is heavy with symbolic meaning
- animals were highly symbolic figures in Egyptian art
- the flowers are symbolic of life (they represent it)
- the symbolic significance of the tree was obvious
- a highly symbolic act (with an important meaning)
- Noun: symbol
- Verb: symbolise
- Noun: symbolism
- a symbol of something
- a powerful symbol
- the dog in the painting is a symbol of loyalty
- the dove is traditionally the symbol of peace
- the gun was a powerful symbol of authority
- a dove is often used to symbolise peace
- the event symbolises the country’s struggle for democracy
- trying to analyse the symbolism in the painting
symbolise
ˈsɪmbəlaɪz
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
if an object, picture, or shape
symbolises a particular idea or
feeling in art or literature, it is
used to represent that feeling or
idea
Verb
- the cat symbolises jealousy
- a dove is often used to symbolise peace
- the event symbolises the country’s struggle for democracy
- Noun: symbol
- Adjective: symbolic
- Noun: symbolism
- the dog in the painting is a symbol of loyalty
- the dove is traditionally the symbol of peace
- the picture is heavy with symbolic meaning
- animals were highly symbolic figures in Egyptian art
- trying to analyse the symbolism in the painting
sympathy
ˈsɪmpəθi
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
if you feel sympathy for someone, you
feel sorry for them because they are
sad or in a bad situation
Noun uncount
- feel/have/show/express sympathy (for/towards someone)
- deepest/heartfelt sympathy
- we would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to Jeff’s widow, Kath
- she got no sympathy from her sister, who was secretly delighted
- I felt no sympathy for him
- do you have any sympathy for her?
- Verb: sympathise
- Adjective: sympathetic
- Adverb: sympathetically
- the neighbours came round to sympathise when they heard the news
- would it help if I go and lend him a sympathetic ear? (go and listen to him sympathetically)
- Albert had been very sympathetic, but he could do nothing to make the situation better
- she listened sympathetically as he poured out his grief
- “Poor old you”, he said sympathetically
tackle
ˈtæk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
to tackle someone in a game such as
football or hockey means to take the
ball away from them
Verb
- I was tackled just when I was about to shoot
- he tackled the striker just outside the box
- improve your tackling skills
- the midfield players tackled hard
- Noun: tackle
- that was a great tackle
- penalised for a late tackle
- a fair tackle
- a crunching tackle (with a lot of force)
- he skipped past the tackles
- he missed the tackle, and Bale got past to score
tackle
ˈtæk(ə)l
Upper Intermediate
pp138-139
if you tackle a problem, you do
something in a determined way to solve
it or to make a situation better
Verb
- tackle a problem/challenge
- effectively/successfully tackle something
- a programme that aims to tackle childhood obesity
- institutions capable of effectively tackling 21st-century challenges
- how should the school tackle this problem?
- Andrew will talk about how to tackle the various challenges of the course
- a few industries seem to be successfully tackling this challenge
tactics
ˈtæktɪks
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
tactics are the methods you choose to
use that will help you achieve what
you are trying to do, especially in a
competition, election, or battle
Noun plural
- they called a time-out to discuss tactics
- Bennett employed a range of tactics to win the election
- the unit lost many soldiers as a result of his aggressive tactics
- the tactics worked and they took the city within a week
- Adjective: tactical
- Adverb: tactically
- Noun: tactician
- their retreat was purely tactical
- this was clearly a tactical decision
- the Iranian commanders were more tactically skilled
- tactically and strategically, these operations made no sense
- Edward was a brilliant tactician and leader in battles
- Mrs Merkel is, after all, Europe's master tactician
take off
teɪk ɒf
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
if something such as a business or
other activity takes off, it starts to
be very successful
Phrasal verb
- after two years, the business really took off
- he left acting after his music career took off
- the project finally took off in late autumn
- sales took off as demand for the product grew worldwide
take out
ˈteɪk ˌaʊt
Upper Intermediate
pp116-117
if you take out something such as an
insurance policy, a mortgage, or a
bank loan, you get it by applying for
it and paying the fee that is
needed
Phrasal verb
- take out a loan/mortgage/policy
- we managed to take out a mortgage
- you need to take out an insurance policy for your trip abroad
- I tried to take out a loan but the bank refused it
take over
ˌteɪk ˈəʊvə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp90-91
when one company takes over another
company, it becomes the new owner and
the two companies combine to become
one company
Phrasal verb
- half the directors left as soon as the firm was taken over
- it was their third attempt to take over the rival company
- we were taken over by the largest mining company in the world
- Noun: takeover
- a takeover bid
- a hostile takeover
- Murdoch launched a takeover bid in early December
- they voted to remain independent and reject the hostile takeover (a takeover that the company did not want to agree to)
- government approval was needed before they could complete the takeover
take the mickey
ˌteɪk ðə ˈmɪki
Upper Intermediate
pp56-57
if someone says you are taking the
mickey, they are accusing you of
making fun of them by deceiving them
or telling lies
Phrase
- take the mickey out of someone
- they took the Mickey out of him because of his accent
- what did you say? Are you taking the mickey?
- Don’t take the mickey. He can’t help it
tank
tæŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp28-29
a tank is a military vehicle that is
made of very strong and thick metal to
protect it, that has several guns, and
that can travel over difficult
ground
Noun
- the Soviets won a fierce tank battle at Kursk in 1943
- a regiment of armoured tanks
- a tank commander
- anti-tank weapons (guns that are powerful enough to damage a tank)
tank
tæŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp98-99
the tank is the container in a car or
other vehicle that holds the
petrol
Noun
- fill the tank (up)
- an empty tank
- a petrol/fuel tank
- I filled the tank with petrol
- we’ve got a full tank
- the tank’s nearly empty
- there’s a nasty hole at the bottom of my fuel tank
tank
tæŋk
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
a tank is a military vehicle that is
made of very strong and thick metal to
protect it, that has several guns, and
that can travel over difficult
ground
Noun
- the Soviets won a fierce tank battle at Kursk in 1943
- a regiment of armoured tanks
- a tank commander
- anti tank weapons (guns that are powerful enough to damage a tank)
target
ˈtɑː(r)ɡɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp74-75
to target someone or something means
to choose them to be the object of an
attack, investigation, or
criticism
Verb
- the police targeted key establishments
- the block of flats was deliberately targeted by burglars
- computer hackers targeted several banking websites
- Kerry supported aggressively targeting drug dealers
- a victim of targeted computer virus attacks
- Noun: target
- attacks on both military and civilian targets
- a frequent target of organized crime
target
ˈtɑː(r)ɡɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp146-147
a target is the object you try and
hit in sports such as shooting or
darts or archery. A target is also
something you try and achieve in your
life or an objective you have as part
of your job
Noun
- our target market is young adults between the age of 20 and 27 (the people we hope will buy our product)
- our target is to reduce inflation to less than 5%
- a meeting to set our targets for next year
- his house was a prime target for robbers
- our initial target was to raise £3m
- Verb: target
- Adjective: targeted
- advertising on buses targets pedestrians and drivers
- each book targets a specific language skill
- a victim of targeted computer virus attacks
tear
tɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp8-9
tears are small drops of liquid which
come from your eyes when you cry. If
someone is in tears, they are crying
because they are upset or because
something is sad
Noun
- be in tears
- be close to tears
- burst into tears
- she had tears running down her face
- the ending of the film had me in tears (made me cry because it was so sad)
- as soon as he was alone, Fergus burst into tears (suddenly started to cry)
- Adjective: tearful
- Adverb: tearfully
- Elizabeth looked tearful as she watched her parents leave
- her tearful face was turned toward Alice
- the girl tearfully shook her head
tear
teə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp48-49
if you tear a muscle or a ligament,
you damage it by moving in a way that
puts too much strain on it
Verb
- I tore my knee ligaments
- he tore a muscle just before the match started
- a completely torn tendon (cord that joins muscle to bone) requires surgery
technically
ˈteknɪkli
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
if something is technically true or
technically possible, then it is true
or possible, but not very relevant or
likely
Adverb
- be technically possible
- be technically true
- it is technically possible to get a visa to travel there
- the legend is technically true but highly misleading
- Florida is not technically considered a southern state
- he gave you money, so technically you sold it to him
- it’s technically feasible, but it would be too expensive to manufacture it commercially
tend
tend
Upper Intermediate
pp72-73
to tend something or someone means to
look after them carefully and do what
is needed for them to stay healthy and
keep in good condition
Verb
- tend to someone
- they were encouraged to keep pets and tend their garden
- he tended his wife during her final illness
- I need to go and tend to the baby
tense
tens
Upper Intermediate
pp118-119
if you are tense, you feel worried
and nervous, and it is difficult for
you to relax and think calmy
Adjective
- feel tense
- do this exercise when you're under pressure or feel tense
- it's the worry about Jill that's making me tense
- bright colours in planes can make passengers feel tense
- I had not realised how tense the past few days had made me
- Noun: tension
- they all laughed and it helped to relieve the tension
- the tension was unbearable
tension
ˈtenʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp10-11
tension is a feeling of excitement or
fear, or a feeling of distrust between
people
Noun
- there’s a lot of tension in the painting
- the tension builds throughout the film
- there is mounting tension between the two communities
- growing tension along the border between the two countries
- tensions are high in the capital following the president’s resignation
- the tension finally erupted into violence on the streets
- Adjective: tense
- the atmosphere in the city is still tense
- there was a tense silence in the room
- the arrival of the police only made a tense situation worse
- the increasingly tense relationship between her parents
tension
ˈtenʃ(ə)n
Upper Intermediate
pp20-21
tension is a feeling of distrust
between people
Noun
- further tensions between residents and developers
- there is mounting tension between the two communities
- growing tension along the border between the two countries
- tensions are high in the capital following the president’s resignation
- the tension finally erupted into violence on the streets
- Adjective: tense
- the atmosphere in the city is still tense
- there was a tense silence in the room
- the arrival of the police only made a tense situation worse
- the increasingly tense relationship between her parents
terror
ˈterə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
terror is the use of extreme violence
for political purposes
Noun uncount
- a terror attack
- a terror campaign
- we will not give in to terror
- the war on terror can never be won
- the IRA’s campaign of terror finally came to an end
- a series of brutal terror attacks on the capital
- Noun: terrorist Noun: terrorism Verb: terrorize
- a terrorist organization/group/cell/network
- a terrorist act/activity/attack/bombing
- a terrorist threat
- terrorize someone into doing something
- terrorize civilians/residents
- an operation against a large terrorist organization
- a series of terrorist bombings caused panic among the population
- the threat of terrorism constantly hung over them
- he was arrested on terrorism charges
- government attempts to combat terrorism
- 9/11 was a major act of terrorism against the United States
- the bombings terrorized people in the villages nearby
- attempts to terrorize the civilian population into leaving the city
terrorism
ˈterəˌrɪz(ə)m
Upper Intermediate
pp34-35
terrorism is the use of violence
against ordinary people in order to
achieve a political objective
Noun uncount
- the government is soft on terrorism
- we will fight terrorism at home and abroad
- a spokesman condemned terrorism in all its forms
- the government wants more powers to tackle terrorism
- the growing threat of terrorism in the late 20th century
- Noun: terror
- Noun: terrorist
- the war on terror
- ten people died in the terrorist attack
- both terrorists were killed when police stormed the building
- he denied having any connection with a terrorist organisation
test
test
Upper Intermediate
pp84-85
to test someone means to make them
answer a set of questions in order to
find out how much they know about a
subject
Verb
- test someone on something
- we were tested twice a week in maths
- Mr Wilkins is going to test us on Friday
- can you test me on my history? (ask me a few questions to check if I’ve remembered enough)
- Noun: test
- a weekly/regular test
- a practical/multiple-choice/online test
- a written/oral test
- a maths test
- a spelling test
- a geography test
- you have half an hour to complete the test
theft
θeft
Upper Intermediate
pp102-103
theft is the crime of stealing
something that does not belong to you.
Someone who commits the crime of theft
is a thief
Noun
- car/bike/vehicle/theft
- petty theft
- identity theft
- the theft of something
- he was found guilty of theft
- car theft has been going down for several years
- a victim of identity theft (when someone steals your personal details and pretends to be you)
- a few cases of petty theft (when something not very valuable is stolen)
- a recent spate of thefts around the college
- thieves broke in and stole some jewellery
- don’t allow a thief easy access to the back of the house
themed
θiːmd
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a theme is a general subject or idea
that is present throughout a piece of
writing, music, a lecture etc. If a
place is themed, it is made to reflect
a particular way of life or to look
like a particular place
Adjective
- a trend to place them in a themed setting such as sitting on their motorbike
- an American-themed leisure park (a leisure park where everything is made to look American)
- the nautically themed Arden Arms (a pub where the decoration makes it look like the inside of a ship)
therapy
ˈθerəpi
Upper Intermediate
pp46-47
therapy is treatment for physical or
mental problems that does not involve
drugs or surgical operations
Noun
- I’d rather go to the gym than have therapy
- he’s had some therapy
- cancer therapy
- alternative therapies
- exercise therapy was effective in reducing pain
- he still is undergoing physical therapy twice a week
- occupational therapy (treatment to help someone get back skills they lost after being ill or injured)
- Noun: therapist
- Adjective: therapeutic
- consult a local therapist for more information
- Marina suffers from depression and is being treated by a therapist
- my therapist helped me get through the experience
- her approach is based on solid therapeutic principles
- these products are fresh and therapeutic
threatened
ˈθret(ə)nd
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you feel threatened by something
or someone, you think they will hurt
you or do something bad to you
Adjective
- feel threatened (by something/someone)
- everyone in the village felt threatened
- the person experiencing this anxiety constantly feels threatened
- people who feel threatened are more likely to buy guns
- Verb: threaten
- Adjective: threatening
- Adverb: threateningly
- Noun: threat
- threaten someone with something
- threaten to do something
- face a threat (of something)
- Galileo was threatened with physical torture
- when danger threatens, horses run away
- the government repeatedly threatened to close the university
- she looked at me and made a threatening gesture
- she was charged with posting a threatening letter to the President
- he shook his fist, and advanced threateningly
- one of them laid his hand threateningly on my arm
- the threat of global warming
- they faced threats of violence
throw up
ˈθrəʊ ˌʌp
Upper Intermediate
pp106-107
if you throw up, food that you have
eaten comes back up from your stomach
and out of your mouth. Throw up is
informal, and a more polite word is
vomit
Phrasal verb
- I felt a lot better after I’d thrown up
- as the sea got rougher, people on deck started throwing up
- he threw up all over the teacher’s skirt
- just the smell of it made me want to throw up
thunder
ˈθʌndə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp62-63
thunder is the loud noise that you
hear in the sky during a storm
Noun singular
- the thunder was so loud it woke me up
- a faint rumble of thunder
- the thunder was getting louder
- a loud crash of thunder followed by more lightning
- a sudden clap of thunder
- the thunder rolled and roared all around us
- Verb: thunder
- Adjective: thundery
- did you hear it thundering earlier?
- it thundered all night and the rain poured down
- the weather looked heavy and thundery
- a thundery, purple-grey sky
tile
taɪl
Upper Intermediate
pp16-17
tiles are flat, usually square,
pieces of a solid material that are
stuck onto walls or floors as a
covering or as decoration. Tiles are
also used as the top covering of
roofs
Noun
- floor/wall tiles
- roof tiles
- a factory that produces tiles
- we used black and white tiles in the bathroom
- how many tiles will the roof need?
- ceramic floor tiles
- the tile floors were beautiful but cold
- Verb: tile
- Adjective: tiled
- Noun: tiler
- Noun: tiling
- we’re going to tile the lower half of the walls
- a tiled hall
- the bathroom is fully tiled
- he worked as a decorator and tiler
- the tiling looked brand new after the clean-up
- elegant Victorian tiling in the entrance hall
tire
ˈtaɪə(r)
Upper Intermediate
pp12-13
if you tire of something, you become
bored with it because it is no longer
new or interesting to you
Verb
- never tire of something
- we never tire of these plots
- many pilots soon tire of the same routine
- she quickly tired of his dreadful jokes
- Adjective: tired
- be/get/grow tired of something
- I grew tired of his rudeness
- he was getting tired of the whole adventure
- I’m tired of arguing with you
toast
təʊst
Upper Intermediate
pp120-121
a toast is an occasion when people
drink together to celebrate something
or to wish people luck
Noun
- propose/make a toast
- drink a toast
- a toast to someone/something
- anyone could make a toast and speak
- I’d like to propose a toast to the bride and groom
- we drank a toast to the team
- Verb: toast
- toast someone/something with/in something
- we all toasted the happy couple
- the couple's vows will be toasted in champagne
tolerance
ˈtɒlərəns
Upper Intermediate
pp144-145
tolerance is the ability to let other
people do or say things that you do
not agree with or do not approve of
Noun uncount
- religious tolerance
- social tolerance of excessive drinking has become far too great
- he has no tolerance for political extremism
- to encourage mutual respect and tolerance
- Adjective: tolerant
- Noun: toleration
- Verb: tolerate
- Adjective: tolerable
- Adverb: tolerably
- Antonyms – Noun: intolerance
- Adjective: intolerant
- Adjective: intolerable
- Adverb: intolerably
- a tolerant and open minded father
- we're an open and tolerant society
- he campaigned for religious toleration and the reform of parliament
- her father would not tolerate lying
- the noise was annoying and barely tolerable
- the flat was tolerably large
- religious prejudice and intolerance
- he became intolerant of opposition
- the situation was intolerable
- the room was intolerably hot
tolerate
ˈtɒləreɪt
Upper Intermediate
pp36-37
if you tolerate something, you allow
it to happen even though you do not
approve of it
Verb
- that kind of behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated
- our culture has decided to tolerate traffic violence
- he would not tolerate any interference
- political dissent was not tolerated
- Noun: toleration
- Adjective: tolerant
- Adjective: tolerable
- Antonyms – Adjective: intolerant
- Adjective: intolerable
- Noun: intolerance
- toleration of slavery was a national evil
- religious toleration (when people are allowed to observe whatever religion they want)
- I consider myself a very tolerant person
- he was much more tolerant of opposition parties and human rights
- at the time it was annoying but tolerable
- he was not intolerant towards other religions
- what kind of intolerant society are we living in?
- conditions in the factory were intolerable
- such misuse of British passports was intolerable
- sadly, both sides teach violence and intolerance
- disputes about religious intolerance